Page 2 of Wasted On You

“Like a trainwreck coming at you with mass casualties.”

“The main one being my pride.”

“That definitely took a hit. Especially when Ivy and Kip showed up.”

“They did?” Mike Paul yanked his head up so fast he thought it would explode. “I don’t remember that.”

“Clearly.”

“What did I do?”

“I don’t think I can talk about it yet.”

“Worse than the singing?”

“Way worse.” Her expression was pained. “Let’s just say it took Cal, Taz, and Dallas to diffuse the situation. And if you were anyone but one of my best friends, you’d be banned from the Sundowner.” Millie Sue sighed and sat back. “You royally screwed up, you know that right?”

Mike Paul stared at his hands and noticed bruises on his right knuckles. It was about that time he realized his hand hurt like a son of a bitch. He scowled. “Who’d I hit? Lafferty?” he asked, eyebrows raised hopefully.

“You wish.”

“Then who?”

“The wall.”

“Oh.”

“It was an inch from Kip’s head.”

Huh. An inch. He’d been close.

“Which is when everything went to shit, and the boys had to step in.”

“I’m sorry.” He bowed his head because it hurt. And because he wasn’t sorry. Not by a long shot. Hell, the only thing he was sorry about was the fact his aim had been so damn bad.

Millie Sue reached for his hand. “I know you are.”

“I can’t believe she’s with that guy.” How in hell had things gotten to this? “Last year we…that night we…” He raised his head. “It was really good what we had. The best.”

“Then why did you let her slip through your fingers? Why did you act like it was just another notch on your belt?”

“I didn’t.” Pissed, he nailed Millie Sue with a look. “I never treated her like that. I was just confused, is all. I didn’t know how to react. We’d always been friends. Never crossed that line, you know? Hell, we didn’t just cross it, we jumped over the line without thinking ahead. I didn’t know how to handle what I was feeling. I’ve never felt like that before.”

“Like what exactly?”

In a mood, he glared out the window into the darkness. That night with Ivy Wilkens had been passionate, tender, and so damn right it had scared the ever-lovin’ crap out of him. He couldn’t shake her off. Couldn’t forget. Hell, he hadn’t been with another woman since, and if any of his buddies knew he’d been celibate for nearly a year, they’d think he’d lost all of his faculties.

It wasn’t like he hadn’t tried. Heck, he’d tried more than once. Cherish Davis was usually a no-brainer. He’d gotten her home, they’d got down to business, and he’d ended up with a case of limp dick. Made worse by the fact he couldn’t blame it on booze (though he had, because hell, he had his pride). He’d been stone-cold sober. He didn’t want anyone but Ivy.

Maybe he was ruined for life.

“Mike Paul?” Millie Sue banged her knee against his. “You didn’t answer my question.”

“It was perfect. Everything about it. Like she was only meant for me. Like we were supposed to be a thing. A together thing. And when I tried to make things right, she wasn’t having any of it. She didn’t give me a chance.” He winced. “Shit, I sound like a bad romance novel.”

“You would do well to read one of those now and again. It might up your game.”

“What the hell am I going to do?”

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