Page 42 of Crash
“Excuse me?” She put her hands on her hips, thrusting her tits out.
“I said no.”
“But—”
“No one ever dump you before?” I scowled, not wanting to deal with this shit. She knew the score, and now she was pushing the envelope. She didn’t have the right.
She flinched, her eyes beginning to water. I was beyond giving a crap if I hurt her feelings or not. She’d reveled in Violet’s reaction the other night, and it wasn’t good. It was as classless as her fake tits.
“Linc—”
“I’m not interested, Andrea,” I said more forcefully. “If you want personal training, sign up with one of the other guys.”
She pouted and slipped a hand down the front of her shorts. “How about our other arrangement?”
Narrowing my eyes, I snapped, “Not. Interested.”
Before I let my anger overwhelm me, I turned on my heel, pushed out the front door of Pulse and stepped out onto the street. Ash had been right about her, but I’d picked up on it too. Andrea was trouble andme? I’d done nothing but be a dumb ass since I got here.
Trying to separate myself from my anger, I walked and walked until I found myself on the main shopping street. As a tram rattled by, followed by a line of traffic, pedestrians stepped around me.I was always surrounded by people from Coach, Josie and Dean all the way to the lights and cameras of the AUFC. There were stands full of fans and even more watching the broadcasts, not to mention the people waiting[CS1]for autographs—I was never alone. Out here on the streets of Melbourne, I could just be any dude. Nobody paid me the slightest bit of attention,[CS1]other than to give me a wide berth—I must look like a thug with my muscles and hardened expression. I didn’t givea stuffabout any of it. All I could think about was the fact I’d let down the one person who I should’ve been looking out for.
I thought I didn’t owe anybody anything, but I’d made a promise.
I wandered down the street, passing a greengrocer and an Asian supermarket, and had crossed a few roads before something caught my eye. Pausing out the front of a chemist, I stared at the display of hairspray, images of Violet and that fucking spider coming to mind. I was pissed as hell, but the image of her spraying the fucking thing so much it stuck to the roof made a smile pull at the corner of my mouth. Then she’d been comfortable enough with me that she’d fallen asleep and fuck…she’d looked like an angel.A motherfucking angel.I hadn’t even touched her and she’d gotten me this worked up.
There must be a reason I hadn’t stopped thinking about Violet all these years. How could I turn away from that without even trying?Dumb ass. I could fix this. I had to—for her sake and mine. Ash would kill me with his bare hands if he found out I’d hurt her.
I should’ve put my full attention into her from the beginning, and I shouldn’t have let Andrea grab my cock. That’s the trouble with being a dumb fuck. You’redumb. What could I do to show her I was sorry?
I kept going back to the night I went over to her house, and we’d watched that movie. The moment she’d finally let me glimpse the person she was hiding. It was at[CS1]that moment I knew, without a doubt, I wanted to know more.
Snatching up a can of hairspray, I took it inside and forked over the cash. As an afterthought, I went into the florist next door, and the chickbehind the countergaveme a confused look when I picked up a long piece of purpleribbon andtied it around the hairspray. Violet equaled purple, right?
Maybe this would show her I gave a crap.
Seventeen
Violet
I was beginning to dread Monday mornings.
I felt sick to the stomach at the thought of going into work and facing Lincoln and Andrea, if she was there. But I had to go. Otherwise I’d be letting Ash down, and I didn’t want to be responsible for things imploding the moment he felt like he could take a break. Pulse was his baby, his entire future, and after the things he’d sacrificed for me, he deserved the best.
So, filling up a thermos with coffee, I drove in extra early and caffeinated myself while I sat in traffic. When I arrived and walked into the gym, it was still empty. Confident I’d avoided Lincoln, for the morning at least, I opened the door to the office and flicked on the light.
I halted mid-stride when I saw something big and black on top of my desk. Something that hadn’t been there when I’d left on Friday. I stared at the can of hairspray perched in front of the computer and didn’t know what to do.
It was one of those huge black cans with the extra twenty-five percent, but what got me was the purple ribbon tied around it. Only one person could’ve left it, and I’d already made up my mind as to what to do about him. I was going to forget about it and move on.
Dumping my bag on the floor and sitting in my chair, I peered at the hairspray and poked it with a finger like the thing would jump up and bite me.
“Vee.”
I hesitated slightly at the sound of Lincoln’s voice, my brow furrowing.
“You’re pushing your luck calling me that,” I said, not turning around.
“I figured I’d take a chance,” he replied.
