Like me.
My head swings up to the stars and I hold my chest. God how I ache.
But I’m on the clock.
What am I going to do?
It’s too busy to leave Mike by himself.
I wish I could beg off and use the itching as an excuse.
But I can’t do that to my friend.
I don’t fuck people over.
Yanking the now heavier door open I push past people waiting for the bathroom, and make my way into the crowd.
Eric appears. “Hey, I was looking for you. Where’d you go?”
I want to disappear.
Or hit him.
Or punch him and then vanish.
But he’s the hero here.
I have to be nice.
I’ve no choice.
To lash out at him today would make me the villain and further ostracize me. All of this rushes through my mind as I stare at the man I’d begun to really care about. I thought he was my hero. But he punched Peter with an ulterior motive. To get me to have sex with him. And it worked. Right there in the woods where he gave me the news.
I was right.
I am so dumb.
Such an idiot.
Always picking bad guys.
“Oh, uh,” I stammer, shoving a hand in my hair. “I wasn’t feeling well. Had to puke. Sorry about my breath.” I’m not sorry at all.
He shrugs that he doesn’t care, reaching for my stomach, “You eat something bad?”
I recoil, pushing my back into strangers. Eric’s eyebrows shoot up and I mutter, “Sorry, it’s just really queasy. Don’t touch…it. I have to get back to work.”
“Have Mike cover for you.”
I wish I could.
“It’s too busy, Eric, but thank you. I’ll be fine. Excuse me.” I step around him and he moves to let me by. Glancing over my shoulder I see he’s following me. “I’ll talk to you in a bit, okay?”
He stops walking, “Sure, yeah. Drink some soda water. Might help settle the nausea.”
Escaping behind the bar I throw myself into my work. That girl is gone.
In a daze, slinging drinks on auto-pilot I finish my shift. Forced smiles. Quick hands. Throbbing chest.
What was I thinking?
That something real had happened between us?
My initial instincts told me what he was.
Why didn’t I listen?
“Hey Wren,” I hear him say, as I hand a credit card to a customer.
Steeling myself I meet his eyes. “Yeah?”
“You need a ride home?”
“Um, I just want to go to bed, still not feeling well.” I touch my stomach.
He nods once, “I could drive your car and make sure you get back, have one of the guys follow so he can drive me to mine after. Let me help.”
Rolling my eyes I mutter under my breath, “Oh my God, just give it a rest,” and meet his confused look. He heard me but you know what, who cares? We’re almost closed. The nightmare is nearly over. “I just want to go home, Eric, okay?”
He throws up his hands, and has the gall to appear hurt. “Okay! Sorry.”
How long are you going to keep this act up, Eric?
I turn away and grab a waving credit card, hear the girl say, “We left a tab open but I want to use this card instead. Name is Turner.”
“Got it,” I mutter, begging the clock to move faster, just this one night.
Please just make it all end.
“Wren?”
My heart slams, and then I realize it’s Mike calling me. I glance over and see the bar nearly empty. It’s like I checked out of my body for the last hour. “Yeah?”
“Eric told me you weren’t feeling well. Why don’t you go home? I’ll clean up. The big stuff is for the janitors anyway. I hire larger crews for home games, don’t worry about it.”
Covering my face with my hands I struggle against tears, breathing deeply to plug the faucet before it breaks and I make a fool of myself. Untying my ponytail and redoing it way too tightly I blink around the mess and ask, “You sure?”
“Yeah, you’re pale!” He comes over, places his hand on my forehead. “You need to go to a hospital?
“No, I just need my bed. I’m okay. Long night. Poison Ivy is killing me.” I grab my keys and phone.
With concern he touches my back as I walk by him. “Sure, get some rest. I’ll wrap the tips up for you.”
Muttering thanks I go out the back, terrified I’ll run into swarming Falcons out front.
When I get to my car I see them all in the distance around his Jeep. Bethany is hanging on Tony’s arm, laughing at something they’re saying. Eric spots me and waves, starts to come over.
I hold up my hand in the universal signal for STOP. His footsteps slow and he frowns, raking his hair back.
Dipping into my car I lock the door and turn the ignition fast, before I start to cry in front of the man who has no heart.
CHAPTER 30
ERIC
Watching her drive away I just stand here in the middle of the street, confused.
Mott asks, “Hey, wasn’t that your girl?”
“Yeah,” I mutter, still following her taillights as I head back to my friends.
“Guess she’s not into you, huh?” Bethany frowns from under Tony’s bicep.
He shushes her.
“She’s not feeling good,” I inform them all. “You know how it is when you’ve got food poisoning. You just want to be alone. Add that to this hell.” I hold up my hand.
Bethany’s eyebrows jog up a little as she looks at me like I’m a lost puppy dog. “Is that what she told you?”
Everyone’s glancing from her to me as I ask, “Yeah, and did you see how pale she was—”
Bethany smiles, head tilting. “You know how easy it is to fake that? I don’t want to break your heart, Eric, but no girl who likes a guy holds up
