Page 360 of Releasing 10
“If I take my meds, will you take me back?”
“You should take your meds regardless, Liz.”
“But would it help?” I choked out, feeling desperate. “Would you take me back?”
“No, Liz.” Releasing a broken sigh, Hugh shook his head and stepped around me. “I’m never taking you back.”
“Then what’s the fucking point of taking them!” I cried out hoarsely, as I watched him walk out of the stable. “Hugh, no, please don’t go!”
“Get better, Liz,” was all he replied before disappearing in the darkness.
“I love you,” I sobbed hysterically, sinking to the ground. “I’m sorry.”
THE LION AND THE GAZELLE
Hugh
DECEMBER 18, 2003
“HUGHIE, CAN WE TALK?” WERE THE FIRST WORDSPIERCE SAID TO ME SINCE THEnight I caught him inmybed, with his dick insidemygirl.
“You have a lot of fucking nerve coming over here,” I replied as I sat on the bench in the changing room and yanked off my boots. Having endured an intense two-hour training session in the pissing rain, I was in no mood for this conversation. Instead, I inclined my head to the other side of the changing room, where his shit was stored. “I suggest you go back over there before I ram these studs up your hole.”
“It’simportant, lad,” he pushed, continuing to hover near me like an annoying blue bottle. “I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t.”
Ignoring him, I peeled off my drenched socks before stripping off the rest of my kit and grabbing my towel. When I stood up to head for a shower and saw him follow me, I swung around and glared. “Follow me in there and you won’t be coming back out.”
Prick.
Storming into the shower stalls, I slammed my palm on the chrome knob and stood directly under the scalding-hot water, trying to warm up from the winter cold and cool down from my traitorous teammate all at once.
I spent longer in the shower than usual, almost thirty minutes, with the hope that he’d be gone by the time I came back out.
Unfortunately, when I returned to the changing room Pierce was theonlyperson still there, clad in his uniform and with a dopey expression on his face.
At least he had the common sense to sit on the opposite side of the room this time.
Gripping the towel around my hips, I stalked past him, moving straight for my spot. “What are you lurking around for? Looking for tips? Trying to see how your dick measures up to mine now?”
“I need to talk to you about Lizzie,” he decided to start with, which was a bad fucking move.
“Read the room, asshole,” I snapped, dropping my towel and reaching for a fresh pair of jocks in my bag. “I’m not interested in what’s happening between ya, so just walk away.”
“But you’re still interested in her well-being, aren’t ya?” he snapped back. “Or do you not give a shit about her anymore?”
Every muscle in my body locked up with tension and I had to take a few steadying breaths to calm down.
He had some nerve bringing her up to me.
Forcing myself to take the high road andnotreact, I continued to ignore him while I dressed.
“Listen, Hughie, I’m sorry, okay,” he sighed, sounding both remorseful and frustrated. “For what I did. It was bad form on my account. I fucked up, lad. I get that now.”
Yeah, I bet he did.
“If you expect me to forgive you for sleeping with my girlfriend ofover four years, then you’re fucking delusional,” I reminded him. “The best you can hope for is my tolerance, and you’re cutting it fine at that.”
“Lad, we’ve been friends since we were four,” he tried to plead. “Surely we can get past this.”
