Page 83 of Jilted Jock
She pointed to the front entrance and I pushed through the crowd. My body felt like it had turned to stone, I couldn’t move fast enough, and my hearing was temporarily gone. I heard nothing but the vibration inside me.
I didn’t breathe until I spotted her coming back through the doors from outside.
“Oh, thank God,” I said on an exhale as I reached her. “Fuck, baby, I’m so sorry. Lauren told me what happened.”
She laughed, a brittle sound. “I’m okay. I just needed a minute. She caught me off guard.”
I pulled her into a hug, and she nuzzled into me for comfort.
“Hey, look at me.” I placed a hand under her chin and eased her face up to look at me. “Say the word and we’re out of here. Booze and coke, my ex-fiancé – so much for a fun night, huh?”
“You can’t leave.”
“I’ll tell them I had an emergency.”
She pulled back and straightened her shoulders. “No, I can do this.”
Re-entering the party, I had an awful feeling that I couldn’t shake. This whole night was just fucked.
“There you guys are,” Kenton said and opened up to let us into the circle with Foster and Lauren.
I felt awkward about joining them and equally as awkward not. I was annoyed at Lauren, but I did my best to avoid looking at her. I grabbed Adele’s hand tightly.
“They’re calling for us to take a photo in the new area,” Foster said, nodding toward a woman from the PR office. She was gathering the team and giving them instructions from the looks of it.
“Might as well get it over with,” Kenton said.
I stepped in front of Adele and leaned down. “Are you okay? It shouldn’t take but a few minutes. I’ll come back as soon as I can.”
She started to nod, but Kenton thrust a mixed drink at her. “Can you hold this for me while we take the photo?”
I waved him off. “Hold it your fucking self.”
“Come on, you know they won’t let me have it in the picture. It’s single malt. I don’t want to waste it.”
“I said fuck off,” I gritted. “She’s not holding it for you.”
“Dude, what the fuck is your problem?”
I spun on him, blood boiling and pulse throbbing at my temple. “She’s a fucking addict.”
There was a gasp at my outburst and then silence. People near us stared to see what the commotion was about. Kenton backed off, and I hung my head as I turned to face my girl.
Fuck. It was hard to look at her, to see the way her blue eyes pinned me with such hurt, but I forced myself not to look away because I’d put that pain there.
“Baby, I’m so sorry.”
Tears welled, but before they had a chance to fall, she glanced at my teammates. “Excuse me.” She took off, and I cursed my big ass mouth and this whole night as I went after her.
She didn’t slow down until she was outside the building. There were cameras and media still milling around and this was the last place I wanted to be having this conversation.
“I’m so sorry.” I ran a hand down her arm. “I didn’t mean to embarrass you.”
She started away from the building and I met her step for step.
“Stop. Please don’t follow me. I need to be alone.”
I didn’t. I couldn’t. I had to make it okay.
