Dare Me (Dare Me Series Book 1)

Dare Me (Part 29 - Colby)

We stand, not saying a word after he leaves. I wonder who he was, but from the looks of it, I'd say her ex. Thick tension fills every space in this room, and her guard shows just as clear as the blankness on her pretty face. You're just like me, my heart speaks. I run a hand over my chest, trying to rub away this odd feeling. "You all right?" I ask, my voice sounding like sandpaper and sleep. I clear my throat and slide my hands into my pockets. "Yeah," she says softly, like she just didn't go through something. She gives me a closed-lip smile, but I'm no fool. Come here, girl. Let me hold you. She slightly shakes her head as if ridding herself of any thoughts that matter and reaches around her waist to adjust her apron strings. An all too familiar feeling of anger starts to fester in my chest, replacing the warm one I had only moments ago. I want to run after that fucker and rip his tongue out so he can't speak anymore. My neck twitches, and my hands ache to hit something. Her eyes narrow, and my switch goes off. I spin and head toward the door. "Colby!" she calls after me, but I'm already shoving the door open and looking for him. I search both ways and see no sign...until I do. He's down the road getting into his car. "Hey!" I yell over to him. He looks back as I walk toward, and then he quickly jumps into his car. I start to jog as he cranks it. His car approaches, and I run out in the road. He slows, giving me a slight smirk. I yank on the door handle. "Get out, motherfucker." He flicks me off and pushes on the gas, and I slam my hand onto his back window before he gets out of my reach. Rage boils over, and I angrily scrub my hands over my head, causing my hat to fall. I link my fingers together, resting them on top as I watch his car disappear down the road. I inhale through my nose, breathing rapidly. "Colby?" I shut my eyes and try to rein it in before turning around. Lexi stands with wide eyes and her hand over her mouth. Shit. I drop my hands to my sides."I'm sorry, Lexi." My anger fades at the sight of tears in her eyes. I take a step, and she shakes her head and steps back. I flinch."You don't have to be scared of me," I say, hurt that she would be. A tear slides down her cheek, and my fucking heart cracks. What is this? She wipes it away, hugging herself as she looks down the road to where he disappeared. Cars pass by, and short-tempered horns sound in the distance, reminding me that we're in the busy city. I wish we were at the ranch. Alone. "I'm not scared of you," she says quietly. "Then why step away from me?" Her eyes look to me, and I see pain. Years of it. "Because look what I do. I'm messed up, Colby." So am I. "You didn't do that," I say, stepping close again and this time she doesn't move. "That guy didn't deserve you. He's a punk." She shakes her head. "I hurt him. We were together for two years, and I couldn't even tell him I loved him." I narrow my eyes, like why is this a big deal? My chest inflates with some weird kind of hope. Why does this make me happy? "Maybe you didn't then?" I say. Her eyes bounce between mine—gray, blue, beautiful. "Is that possible?" I ask. "Why, though?" she says. "Why didn't I love the man I was living with? I just never... I made him cheat." I laugh once. "Did that fucker tell you that?" It pisses me off more and, I swear to God, if I ever run into him again, I'll beat his face in for making this girl think she's the reason he couldn't keep his dick in his pants. She looks confused at the humor I find in this. "A real man wouldn't do that, and I'm not too sure he loved you as much as he makes you think he did." "I don't understand," she says as people pass by. I reach my hands out and grab her arms, unfolding them from her and linking our fingers together. I move us to the side and look over her pretty tear-stained face, and I tell her what I witnessed growing up. "When a man loves a woman, he fights for her. He works his ass off every day to make sure she knows she's loved even if she doesn't do the same." I glance down the road before looking back at her. "That wasn't a man in love." Her eyes go down to our fingers. I like the feel of her skin against mine, and I want more of it. I yank a tad and wrap them around my waist. She lets me, and I hold on to her, breathing in her scent—rain showers and lavender fields. "How do you know this?" she asks quietly, hesitantly from our embrace.My mind thinks back on so many moments of my mom and dad. Dancing in the living room. Yelling and screaming and making up. My parents' love was a whirlwind that destroyed everything. But it was love. In its truest, rawest form. "Because I witnessed it," I murmur. Three people walk into the shop, and Alexis pulls away from me. She sniffs and wipes under her eyes. "Duty calls," she says. "How do I look?" "Fine," I say. She laughs. "Just fine? Gee, thanks." She rolls her eyes, and there's that pretty smile. She starts to walk, and I grab my hat from the road before I follow. "You hanging out for a little while?" she asks as we get to the door. "If that's okay with you?" She gives me a closed-lip smile. "I'd like that." I nod and open the door for her to go inside. "Well, after you then." I take a seat at a table as she waits on the people, and then another woman walks in. She's hippie-like and holds several bags, one with a for sale sign hanging out. She looks to be struggling, so I stand. "Let me help you," I say. She smiles at me. "Thank you so much. I thought I had it all, but it got heavier as I walked." She laughs, and I see Lexi give us a sideways glance. "Where are we going with this?" I ask. "This way, please." I nod and follow her through the beaded curtain and down a hallway. "Really, thank you for this," she says, looking back at me. "It's no problem." She sets her bags down on the desk in the office we just walked into. "I'm a friend of Lexi's," I say, holding out my hand after I put the bags down. "Colby." "Oh, really?" She smiles. "It's great to meet you. I'm Karen. I own this place." She looks around after shaking my hand. "For a little while longer anyway." "I noticed the sign," I say. "You selling?" "Yes. Sadly, I am." I watch her take things out of the bags, thinking about how Lexi said she wanted to own this place and about that day when I picked her up from the bank. "Lexi buying?" She looks up at me. "Oh, no. I wish she could, and so does she." She sighs. "But sometimes things don't work out the way we want, right?" I lift my brow as my wheels begin to turn with an idea. "Right," I agree. Looking behind me to see if Lexi's anywhere near, I reach over and close the door. Karen looks puzzled. "Can we talk business?" I ask. She gives a curious smirk, but then says, "Have a seat."