After Liv agrees to keep an eye on the boys, I go the ladies’ room. Once I’m seated in the stall, I hear moaning in the stall next to me. No way. I have to be mistaken. The stall doors start to rattle as the woman clearly reaches climax.
“Yes…Yes…Yes.”
My skin is on fire. Oh, my God! I’m completely mortified. I have to pee so badly, and now I can’t. I decide to get up and get out of this stall as quickly as possible before I have to face these people. How embarrassing.
I open the door to the stall and step out at the exact same time as…. Oh. My. God.
My eyes widen as I take in Tug and his large-breasted friend. He seriously just had sex with some random girl in a bathroom stall. It’s so not like Tug, or at least it never was before. It’s more something Brady would have done.
The woman erupts into a fit of giggles. She grabs Tug’s shirt and buries her face in his chest. He tenses. Her head lifts slowly as our eyes meet. My mouth is hanging open.
She smiles and lifts her shoulders. “Whoopsie!”
Tug pushes her away slightly. “Haley, would you wait for me at the bar?”
His voice is cold, rude. How could he be so callous after what they just did?
“It’s Holly,” she giggles. “But I’ll wait for you, Bobby.” She turns, giving his butt a squeeze before walking out.
This isn’t right. This isn’t him. Why do I feel like I want to claw her eyes out? It’s not as though she’s taking advantage of him. He doesn’t even know her name, and apparently she doesn’t know his.
Tug slips his hands in the pockets of his slacks and rocks back on his heels. My favorite boyish grin appears. “This is awkward.”
I want to scream at him, but I don’t. Instead I take in a calm breath and shrug. “It’s certainly a first for me, Bobby.”
His small smile shrinks. It’s all wrong. “I’m sorry you had to see that.”
“You’re a grown man.” I try to smile. I can’t. I’m disappointed in him, but it’s not my place, so I stick with our norm and decide to joke with him. “Technically, I didn’t see anything, but I did get an earful.”
He laughs as he pulls his hands from his pockets. It’s a nervous laugh, one that clarifies how different things are between us, and how no matter how much we want them to be the same, they never will.
His hand brushes down the back of his head. He tosses me a crooked smile. “Well, I should probably get back to Haley.”
“Jesus, Tug. Excuse me, Bobby, her name is Holly. It’s not that hard. You just fucked her in a public toilet. The least you can do is try and get her name right.” I turn my head, unable to look at him right now. I’m too angry. I can’t breathe. It’s hot in the bathroom. I feel sweat trickle down my back.
I should leave. If Tug wants to screw a hundred bimbos in various public restrooms, he’s free to do so. I can’t stand witnessing his reckless behavior, though. Maybe it’s because I can see the shit storm coming. Eventually he’s going to do something so insanely stupid he can’t take it back. When he does, it’s going to break my heart.
I can feel his gaze on the side of my face. “What’s your problem?”
I whip my head back to loo
k at him. “Her…” I point at the bathroom door, and then right at him. “You…this isn’t you, Tug.”
His eyes close, like he’s trying to shut me out. “Well, maybe it is now.”
I feel like I’m going to explode. My legs shake violently as rage surges through me. “That’s a bit dramatic even for you, don’t you think?”
His head falls back, and he looks at the ceiling. “Of all the fucking girls on the planet, I fall in love with the one I can never have.” He steps close to me. Too close. Our gazes lock. “So yes, I fucked whatever her name is in a dirty bathroom stall. She’s not the first, and she won’t be the last.” His eyes narrow to slits. “Now back off! I don’t owe you anything, Sunshine.”
He bites down on the last word, glaring at me with appalling conceit. I despise him. How dare he call me that! Adrenaline is racing through my veins. All my anger rushes to the palm of my hand. I rear back and swing. My palm smacks into his skin. The painful sting burns. Fuck, that hurt!
He rubs his cheek. His smug grin infuriates me. My blood boils in my ears as I reach back, ready to slap him again. Before I connect with his cheek, he grabs my wrist and pulls me to him. I crash into his hard body. My lip quivers as I look up at him. He glares down at me. He’s irate. My pulse pounds in my ears like a drum.
“Ask yourself why you’re so angry.”
My jaw drops. I shove against him, thrashing my arms. He doesn’t budge. I want to scream. I’m ready to bite his head off, but I know it won’t do a damn bit of good. He pushes every one of my buttons. I don’t know why. Does he want to hurt me? Maybe he wants to push me away for good. He’s hurt and bent on handling his pain down a self-destructive path of women and liquor. He doesn’t let go of me, and I’m too afraid to move.
The look in his eyes kills me. It confirms that the sweet, funny Tug of our youth is gone. This complex, infuriating man is Aidan Hunter, and I’m not sure I like him very much.