Page 126 of Cold As Ice

“You’ve got to admit, it looks a bit desperate.”

Desperate.

The word ricocheted through me, and I flinched.

“Wow. I’ll be leaving now,” I said, shoving past him.

“Madison, wait. I—”

“Don’t bother, Austin.” I glanced back, heart in my throat, pride on the floor. “You’ve made it perfectly clear where we stand.”

* * *

I didn’t leave the bar.

Instead, I heeded Jeremiah’s words and flirted up a storm.

I was annoyed at myself for letting Austin’s words affect me so much. But who the hell did he think he was talking to me like that?

The endless stream of cocktails the guys—minus Austin, who had kept his distance all night—kept bringing us might have been slightly to blame for my false bravado.

“Maybe you’ve had enough,” Fawn said as we danced with Harper.

“I’m fine,” I said, weaving my hands through the air, letting the music take me over. “Fiiine.”

“You sound it.” She rolled her eyes, checking her cell phone. “It’s late. We should probably head back.”

“What happened to Leon?”

“His groupies arrived.” Fawn grabbed my finger and pointed over to where Leon and three girls sat, all a little too close to be considered appropriate.

Even for a bar.

“Come on, party girl, let’s get you—”

“Oh, I love this song.” I threw my arms around her neck and began swaying us to the beat.

“Fine. I guess we can stay a little longer.”

A couple of Harper’s friends joined us, and we all danced and laughed and danced some more.

I felt good. Austin’s blatant rejection was a distant memory thanks to all the vodka in my veins and music in my soul.

Until my eyes found him across the bar, in a heated discussion with—

“Rory.”

My heart crashed against my chest as I watched them move into a quieter spot, heads lowered, bodies close.

It didn’t make any sense.

She was with Noah. I’d spent the entire night watching the two of them all over each other. But there was no mistaking the tension between Austin and Rory now. Even from all the way over here, I could see the angst in his expression—the pain.

They looked like forbidden lovers hiding in the dark.

Oh my God.

He wanted her.

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