Page 24 of My Ex for Christmas
She has the decency to look somewhat sheepish. “Was I supposed to stay for breakfast?” she asks. “You’ll have to forgive me. Sleeping with my ex boyfriend is a new experience for me. I don’t know the rules.”
“We make the rules,” I say with a shake of my head. “Youdon’t have to stay. That’s up to you. But don’t leave me without saying goodbye. Not again.”
As soon as the words leave my mouth, I want to take them back, if for no reason other than the look of betrayal on her face.
“Had—”
“Goodbye, Brooks. I’ll see you around.”
The door slams in her wake.
I run a hand down my face as I sigh. Fuck, I messed that up. She was already freaking out about us having sex, then I just had to go and make it worse.
Walking back to my bedroom with less enthusiasm than when I woke, I find my phone buzzing on my nightstand.
Margaret
the roasts are blicked. Done open,
I blink at the screen. I’m generally good at understanding my great aunt’s typo-riddled texts, but this one has me stumped.
What?
While I wait for her reply, which will undoubtedly take her at least ten minutes to type, I head to the bathroom and have a quick shower. Once I’m dressed, I veer toward the kitchen and start brewing some coffee. Then I check my phone.
Margaret
ducking ussless phone
DUCK
Before I can say anything back, my phone starts to ring. When I pick it up, Margaret is muttering under her breath.
“Hello?”
“It’s a shitshow out there. Half the roads in this town are blocked, and I can’t even get out of my goddamn driveway. Don’t bother opening the bar.”
My brows shoot to my hairline. That’s an unusual instruction from her. We’re always open, rain or shine. “You’re sure?”
“Consider it a gift. Merry fucking Christmas,” she replies, and then she hangs up.
Shaking my head, I finally look out the window. All I can see is an ocean of white. I heard we were getting some snow, but it must’ve really come down last night, and it seems there’s no sign of it stopping yet. Even if I did open the bar this afternoon, it would be nothing but a ghost town.
But shit, if the roads are closed, that means Hadley shouldn’t be out there. The drive up to the resort isn’t a safe one in weather like this. Not until the roads are cleared.
I’m grabbing my keys and shrugging on my coat before I even register my actions. All I can picture is her winding up in a ditch somewhere in her haste to get away from me.
I shouldn’t have let her leave.
Why did I have to go and stick my foot in my mouth? Things were going fine—her escape notwithstanding—until I threw the past in Hadley’s face. This morning would be turning out a hell of a lot differently if I hadn’t done that.
I take the stairs two at a time and make it outside in under a minute. My truck is parked out front, and I make a beeline for it. With any luck, I can catch her before she does any damage to her car. Or herself.
As I go to throw open the driver’s side door, my attention gets pulled to the edge of the parking lot. The turnout onto the road is packed with snow, and in the middle of it all is Hadley’s car. The tires are spinning and the engine is roaring as she pumps the accelerator, fumes pouring from the exhaust pipe.
Shutting my door, I walk across the parking lot and tap on the glass with my knuckle. She shrieks in surprise, then rolls down the window.
“Yes?” she huffs.
