Page 145 of Holding On To Good

Skirting around one of the wooden picnic tables in the grassy area between the woods and the parking lot, she pulled her key fob from her front pocket and hit the unlock button. Her headlights flashed. Her car beeped.

And a deep voice over her left shoulder growled four extremely menacing, totally fear-inducing words.

“You shouldn’t be alone.”

With a squeak, she jumped and whirled around, holding her phone out like a shield, her key fob like a weapon.

A tiny, plastic, completely useless weapon.

Stupid keyless cars. How was she supposed to poke an attacker’s eye out without a pointy key?

Luckily, it only took her a moment to realize she recognized that growl.

Which only made her heart race even more.

For a brief, wonderful moment she fantasized about giving the jerk a good dosing of pepper spray. Just on principle.

Too bad her pepper spray was safely tucked away in the glove box of her car and not on her person which Miles would point out wasn’t exactly helping her protect herself.

But she didn’t think Reed was there to do her in.

Just mess with her head and heart a bit more.

Must be a slow, boring night in bad boy land.

“Ever heard of letting a girl know you’re there?” she snapped, feeling like an idiot talking to nothing but air as she couldn’t actually see him. But she knew he stood just behind the edge of the lot, enveloped in darkness. Could easily picture him, complete with a sneer and his perpetual anger. “You scared the crap out of me.”

He stepped forward and yep, there he was, all grump-faced and glowering, his hair pulled back, his dark clothes blending into the night.

Crossing her arms, she waited, ready to receive a more than well-deserved apology for scaring her. An apology she’d accept, no matter how insincere, gruff and reluctant it was given.

She was a forgiving soul, that way.

“Where’s Frat Boy?” he asked.

“What?”

Reed stepped closer. Searched her face. “You hook up with him tonight?”

“Is that why you’re here?” she asked, incredulous. “You were hoping to catch me with Brandon?”

Again she waited, this time for him to deny it.

Again, she was disappointed.

Par for the course with this boy.

“The least he could do after he fucks you,” he said, his soft tone at odds with the ugliness of his words, “is make sure you get to your car safely.”

She flinched. Swallowed. Okay. Forget forgiveness.

She was going to pepper spray him anyway.

He didn’t regret it, Reed told himself even as his stomach sank at the way Verity looked at him—flushed and pissed-off.

Like she wanted to rip his heart from his chest and grind it under her heel.

Like he’d just broken hers.

---