“Me too.” She almost smiles. We invited her mom, but she had a date with this plumber she met when one of the sinks needed replaced at her salon.
Hayley sees some people she went to school with and leaves me to go say hello. I’m not up for meeting more people who probably fucked Killian. I know he has a past, and I can’t hold it against him, but that doesn’t make it any easier to accept. There’s only him for me. He’s the first guy who has ever meant anything to me. He says he’s never wanted to try for anyone accept me, but he shared his body with all these girls, and I hate it. I hate that they know him in ways that I don’t. I stare out at all the cars getting ready to race. My thoughts go back to Killian and the way he stared at me in challenge when he was at the start line. He gave me such a rush.
Being with him was like a drug.
“It really is a small world.” My eyes snap open, and I see Hunter taking a seat next to me.
“Oh. Hey. What are you doing here?”
“I could ask you the same.” He beams at me. “I’m racing tonight.”
“I didn’t know you liked to.”
“There’s a lot you don’t know about me. I never got the chance to tell you.”
“Ouch. I deserve that I suppose.”
“Nah.” He knocks his knee against mine. “Just fucking with you.”
An odd feeling causes goosebumps to fan up and down my arms.
“Who are you here with anyway?”
“Um, Hayley. She should be coming back any minute now.” I look around but don’t see her.
“Any chance I can get a kiss for good luck?” He winks.
“I don’t think that would be a good idea.”
Hunter leans over and kisses my cheek. “Maybe you’ll change your mind after I win.” I jerk away and slap my palm to my cheek, wiping his kiss away.
I am about to tell Hunter that he shouldn’t get his hopes up when he is yanked off the bleacher. I look over and Killian is standing over him. “Stay the fuck away from my girlfriend.”
Hunter laughs and backs away. “Last I heard she was single. I’ll see you soon, Liri.”
“What the fuck was that about?” Killian is in my face.
“You’re causing a scene,” I hiss, as everyone’s staring at us.
He makes a ‘so what face’. “I don’t give a damn about any of them.”
“What are you doing here? Did you follow me here?”
“No. Maybe you should be asking Hunter that. He seem
s to always pop up wherever you are. Is that guy giving you trouble?”
I shake my head. “No more than you are.”
He winces. “I gotta go get set up to race. Will you come with me?”
Every cell in my body is crying in protest when I tell him, “Not this time.” He can’t show up here and think he can pretend nothing happened between us.
“Can we talk after. Please?”
I nod.
My phone pings with a text from Hayley.