Page 64 of The Fire Walker
It was raw, powerful, intense...seismic. And so fucking wrong on so manylevels.
Dumping the condom in the bin, I stormed out into the room, scrambling to put some clothes on. Underwear, jeans, dragging a T-shirt over myhead.
“Dee?”
She was fuckingcrying.
I yanked my boots on and bolted for the door, my fingers curling around the carkeys.
“Don’t run away,” shepleaded.
I didn’t look up as I slammed the door behind me and stormed out into thenight.
Standing out in the middle of the dark lot, I drew in a shaky breath. Endless stars shone overhead, lights of passing semi-trailers flying down the highway in the distance. Fucking disgusted with myself was what I was. I’d never done something so vindictive in my entirelife.
The door didn’t open behind me, and I was glad. I couldn’t face her afterthat.
Unlocking the car, I slid into the passenger seat and fumbled for the lever to tilt it back. I’d left my jacket in here earlier, and I tugged it over myself. There was no way in hell I was going back in there tonight or ever. Tomorrow, I would drive her home, and that would finally be the end ofit.
But even as I made the decision, I knew that it would never be over. She was ingrained into every sense I had like a stain you just couldn’t get out. Even after she’d walked out on me, I was still in that place. The one where I’d fallen for Jessie Ware, and I hated myself for it. But that was my problem. I just dove in headfirst and damn the consequences. Now I was paying forit.
And for the first time since this thing had started, I let myselfcry.
Jerking awake,I realized someone had been knocking on the glass by my head. Rubbing the condensation away, I knew it wasJessie.
The steely gray morning light haloed around her tiny frame, her arms wrapped tight around herself. She looked tired like she hadn’t slept at all. That made two ofus.
Unlocking the door, I climbed out and stretched. “We’re going,” I said, avoiding her eyes. “Get yourstuff.”
I went back into the room, collected my things, and dumped it all in the back of the car, not waiting for her to say anything. When I came back from dropping the key into the motel reception, she was getting into the passengerside.
She was wearing big sunglasses that covered her eyes, but her hair was messy and pulled back haphazardly, and her body was angled away toward the window. I turned the key in the ignition, not looking forward to the next six or so hours that I would be alone with her after last night. The whole situation had imploded in the most dramatic fashion, and now it was irreparable. I didn’t want to acknowledge what I’d done even though I could still feel her around me. My skin still reeked of dirty fucking revengesex.
Grinding my teeth, I pulled out onto the highway, merging with the early morning traffic. We would get to New York by dinnertime, and then this whole mess would be done. Over.Kaput.
Couldn’t fuckingwait.
