Page 158 of His Big Bad Stick

“I wish I could travel with you.”

“Team plane,” I say. “Nobody else allowed.”

I’m being a stoic asshole to her right now. Sucking back on anger in a way that I’ve never done in my life. I’m not used to it and I’m definitely not good at it.

In a perfect world Abrielle will step back and leave me be so I can pack up and leave.

Only she senses something it way off with me.

Fuck.

“I’m sorry about today, Colver,” she says. “I had no idea that-”

“You’ve already said that to me. Five times now. Simon just showed up. Randomly.”

“And maybe it wasn’t random,” she says. “Maybe he wanted to check up on me. Stir up problems. You were there for me. Again.”

“That’s what I do. Right? That’s all that matters.”

“There’s a lot more that matters, Colver.”

“Doesn’t seem that way, huh?”

“Wait… what? Colver, what’s going on? You’re… pissed off…”

“I have to go, Abrielle. I have to meet up with the guys. Get on a plane tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow? Then why are you leaving now?”

I look at Abrielle.

I feel like someone is sticking me in the heart with a knife.

I hate this fucking feeling. This is why I never get fucking close to anyone. Ever.

Abrielle blinks fast. She looks ready to cry.

Those are the pregnancy hormones.

I can’t deal with it right now.

She’s got to get out of my way.

Maybe I’m not supposed to leave in a moment like this.

But it seems better to leave than speak what’s going through my head.

37

Abrielle

“We have to be different,” I blurt out.

“What does that mean?” Colver asks with an angry scowl on his face.

He’s really worked up…

“We can’t do what our parents did,” I say. “I don’t want to be my mother. You don’t want to be your father.”

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