Page 113 of Love Collided

“Dammit, Scout. Fine. I’ll do whatever orwhoeverI want since you won’t even hear me out.”

She broke away, storming into the club. By the time I made it inside, I had lost her to the crowd, but it didn’t take me long to find the rest of the crew, half of them filling one of the booths that Ash had apparently reserved. I forced a smile as she waved me over.

“Hey,” Ransom said. “Drink?”

I nodded, but was already searching for the red hair that was braided onto her head like a crown tonight. She wasn’t here, though. I looked at Ash who sucked in her bottom lip before pointing out towards the dance floor.

Scout was out on the floor dancing to the beat, some guy moving closer and closer, and she wasn’t stopping it.

Red-hot anger burned through me. I didn’t want anyone else, and I didn’t want anyone touching her.

I pushed through the crowd, heading right toward her. I didn’t care about the crew seeing. I didn’t care about them knowing I wanted her. If the only other option was burning every bridge with them to stop her going home with someone else, and at least attempt to listen to me, I would.

She glared up at me when I got closer, but backed up into the guy. A random girl spun, facing me with a smile as her hands shot out to run up my arm and chest.

I was still looking out at Scout, her lip curling as she watched the girl’s hands on me. I didn’t flinch, but part of me was filled with relief. If she didn’t want this girl touching me, at least there still might be a chance of being with her.

I pushed around the girl as nicely as possible to reach Scout, the guy at her back still moving in.

“What are you doing?” Scout said, yelling over the music.

“I’m trying to talk to you.”

“Here?”

“I will talk anywhere if you would just give me five damn minutes and listen.”

“We are not talking here.”

The guy behind her stepped forward. “If she wants to dance and not talk to you, why don’t you leave?”

“Get the fuck out of here,” I said, brushing the guy off and looking back down at Scout.

“That’s not your decision,” Scout said, getting angrier.

“Tonight, it is my fucking decision. I will give you a thousand other nights to call the shots, but tonight I am.”

“No, you aren’t.”

I looked back up at the guy. There was no fucking way she was leaving with any other guy tonight. “Listen, you don’t want this one. She has a literal switchblade in her boot, and I can almost guarantee she will use it once before the night is over.”

The guy looked down at her feet, but it was too dark to see it. His eyebrows shot up, but he backed up, finally putting some space between them. “Have a good night, you two,” he said, and then he was gone.

“Chase!”

“Scout!”

“Fine!” she yelled. “You only get five minutes, or you are right—Iwilluse that switchblade tonight. It will just be on you.”

THIRTY-TWO

SCOUT

As I pulledChase through the narrow hallway, my fingers squeezed his as hard as I could, trying to show him exactly how annoyed I was about this. Him showing up on the plane had immediately made me angry until I could feel the relief that coursed through me when he sat down by me.

I wanted him there. I wanted him here tonight, and I really wanted him at my races tomorrow. I knew we couldn’t have anything more than this stupid friends with benefits thing, and I knew I had to stick to that, but I was struggling not to turn around and kiss him.

The crowd pushed together for a second, everyone trying to get into the hallway for the bathrooms. The sudden stop made Chase push against me. His arms wrapped around me, and before I knew what was happening, he was lifting me up, carrying me through the crowd. He kept moving until he found a less crowded hallway. By the time he set me down and I turned to face him, my body was on fire.

---