Page 83 of The Devil's Tattoo
“Zoe.”
I stiffened at the sound of Will’s voice and pulled away sharply from Dee. I didn’t dare turn around because if I did, I would have punched the curly-haired asshole right in the face, and I needed my hand to playguitar.
“Leave her be, man.” Dee’s voice filtered through my simmering rage. “Don’t you think you’ve doneenough?”
“I need toexplain.”
I didn’t hear any more. I kept walking, disappearing inside the bar and leaving Will’s empty wordsbehind.
I never got drunk. It wasn’t my thing, killing brain cells and wasting a day on a hangover, but right now, it was all I wanted to do. So I sat at the bar and ordered a triple scotch and coke and a bottle of cider. The scotch was gone in under a minute, and the cider began tofollow.
All this anger was unnatural. It pooled in my gut like acid, and I would’ve done anything todullit.
I’d been sitting there for at least ten minutes when someone stood next to me, and it was the last person I expected. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized it was the one person who would’ve wanted to confront me. After all, I’d wanted to do the same thing, albeit for differentreasons.
Mish was standing there, her pretty face contorted in anger. She stood right in my personal space, and I couldn’t havecaredless.
“Stay away from him,” she said like it was a threat. “Will is mine.”Mine, like a thing to beowned.
I stared at her unblinking, and without a trace of emotion, I said, “If you’re so secure in your relationship, then why do you feel the need to come over here and bother me with your pathetic, emptythreats?”
Mish stared at me open-mouthed, and I knew I should’ve felt a little good about the fact I had her lost for words in under five seconds, but she was still standing all up in my face. So I stood and declared, “If you don’t mind, you’re in my personal space, and I would advise you toget the hell outofit.”
She took a few steps backward, her eyes betraying her fear. As much as I wanted to hurt her, laying a finger on her would solve nothing. She wanted to hurt me too, but it was better to leave everything well enough alone. So I just turned around, sat back on my stool, and downed a mouthful of cider, staring into space. Some after party.Somefuckingtour.
“Zoe?” Chris was beside me. He’d witnessed my moment of moral triumph. “Thatwasepic.”
“Was it?” Ishrugged.
“Here’s to tellin’ crazy bitches what for.” He tapped my bottle with his and gave meawink.
Suddenly, I felt a littlebetter.
I glanced up and saw Mish talking to Will, the expression on her face furious as she pointed at me. He glanced over and caught my gaze, and all I could do was sigh and look away. I didn’t have anything left inside of me that gave a crap. This just had to end. I couldn’t see him anymore. I couldn’t be within five feet of him. I had to get away if there was any chance of me coming back from thisagain.
“I’ve gotta get out of here,” I declared suddenly, and Chris gave mealook.
“Areyouokay?”
“No. I just need some air.” I snatched my jacket from the bar and walked away, my breath tight in mychest.
I couldn’t really hear over the music, but someone grabbed my arm as I moved through the room. I figured they were trying to call out to me, but I didn’t notice. When whoever it was pulled me around, I stiffened. Will was holding my arm, some unknown expression on his face along with a dark bruise below his right eyebrow where Dee must have punched him. It burned where his fingers touched my bare skin, and it hurt too much. My heart felt like someone just stabbed a piece of jagged glass right through it, and I toremyselfaway.
“Zoe,” he said, and it came outstrangled.
“Don’t touch me,” I hissed, taking a fewstepsback.
“Please, Zoe. Let meexplain.”
“No.”
“Why are you pushing me away? I want to make this better. I can’t…” He ran a hand over his face. “Why won’t you let meexplain?”
Suddenly, I didn’t feel so numb anymore. Anger welled up inside me, and it was all I could do to stop myself from punching him in the face and giving him a matching bruise. Instead, I let it all out. “Because when your boyfriend of three years that you love and trust comes home and tells you he’s been seeing another woman for six months behind your back and that they’re getting married a week from fucking Tuesday…” I almost choked on a sob and clutched my arm against my stomach. “He broke more than my life. That kind of shit destroys a person. It destroyed me for such a long time and fucked if I’ll let someone else do it to meagain.”
He was looking at me open-mouthed, and I swore he might start crying. There was nothing else to say, so I just turned and walked away. Let him go back to Mish. Let him do whatever he wanted. I couldn’t care anymore.Ididn’tcare.
Will grabbed my arm again, stopping me from running away. “Zoe, you’re everything to me. Don’t say this meant nothingtoyou.”
