Page 51 of Sin Bin

The passenger’s seat squeaks as though she’s dropped down. “Can you tell me why . . . ” She swallows, then clears her throat. “There was one day . . . you were home, your car was outside, after everything. I came by to see you, and you didn’t answer when I rang the doorbell. You just let me stand out there like anidiot.Why?”

Because I was too busy having my heartrippedout.

I must hesitate too long because she gives a deep sigh that speaks to her disappointment. “Never mind. Just . . .nevermind.”

Her hand goes to the door to open it, and panic hits me like a freight train. The thought of her leaving steals my breath. “I can’t—” I shake my head, needing the words and yet finding none. “If I could tell you, I would, Zoe. I would. But it isn’t . . . Something happened and I can’t relive it. I don’twanttoreliveit.”

“Even if it meant we could get back to where we were? Even if it meant that I no longer looked at you like a coldheartedasshole?”

Knowing that she feels that way about me makes me feel lower than scum. I rub my chest, hoping to ease the growing ache. “I’m sorry, Zo,” I tell her softly, “I just . . .can’t.”

She doesn’trespond.

Instead she cranks open the door, and clambers out, her fingers going to her skirt to hold it inplace.

She leaves me,alone.

I laugh, low andmiserably.

Because the irony is a killer. The man who everyone thinks is a stone-faced emotional ice block . . . isn’t. I lower the window, seeking the cool air to hit my face. I’m holding onto a thread here, and I have the sickening feeling that I just cut loose my last hope forhappiness.

ChapterFourteen

ZOE

Sixteen Days Left . . .

You know what Ithink?

Fuck AndreBeaumont.

Yup, I said it. I’m living the no-regret lifestyle over here, and thus far, it’s utterly fantastic. In the three days since I’ve seen Mr. Sin Bin himself, I’ve taken out a new meaningonlife.

No more living inthepast.

No more waiting, hoping, that Andre will one day open his eyes and realize that he ruined a perfectly good friendship (or something more) with kissing me like he never wantedtostop.

No more hoping that we’ll ever get back to the place thatwewere.

Nope, I’m living life to the fullest formyself, and it feels great. Magnificent,actually.

I’ve had dinner with Charlie, helped my dad out at Vittoria (willingly), and taken Tia to the mall to stroll around and have some much-needed girl-time. Hell, I even dragged Shelby along to look at apartments in the area, and I think I may have found theperfectone.

Is it as large as my old condo in Detroit? No. Does it have nice features like marble kitchen tops or stainless-steel appliances?Negative.

DoIcare?

Notonebit.

After work tonight, I’ll be putting in my “offer.” To get on Tia’s good side, since I had originally agreed to stay at the home-front with her, I promise sleepovers for her and her girlfriends every weekend for the next threemonths.

I don’t think I’ve been so happy in alongtime.

And that in itself feels . . .amazing.

“Hey,Zoe?”

I glance up at Gwen, who is hovering in the doorway to my office. Since the game the other night, she’s taken to popping up here and there to chat. Never about work-related stuff, though. Instead, it seems she’s found a “friend” in me, which is both nice and also terrifying at thesametime.

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