Page 102 of Five Summers

“Come on,” Ace urges. “You need to calm the fuck down, Xander.”

“You better fucking apologize for talking about her like that," I yell, eyeing the asshole while I'm being dragged away from him.

The guy gives me a look like I'm out of my fucking mind. He thinks my statement is completely ridiculous. Ace and Reg let me go, but they're keeping an eye on me to make sure I don't go back and finish this guy off.

Without even needing to glance over, I can already feel Poppy nearby.

"You better fucking say it, dude, or else I'll come back over there," I tell him.

The asshole's gaze moves from me to Poppy.

“Sorry,” he says, his apology carrying a half-hearted vibe.

“What for, dickhead?” I add.

He glances at me, but I give him a death stare and he immediately looks away and focuses on Poppy. “I’m sorry for disrespecting you tonight.”

Poppy stays quiet and just glares at him like he's not even worth the effort to respond. She moves over and puts my drink next to the one that's already there.

I shove past Ace, making my way back to my seat. He follows me, ready to intervene if I go to punch that asshole again. But I totally ignore him and focus on Poppy.

“This is the shit I’m talking about,” Ace says to Poppy. And I can’t help but wonder what the fuck is going on.

“Can we talk?” I ask, sliding back onto the bar stool.

“Nah, sorry, I can’t. I’m working,” she says, her dismissive tone catching my attention.

“Why are you working here?” I ask again, curious to know why she’s working here and hoping to learn more about her life.

“It's not your concern anymore. Plus, I don't think there's anything left to discuss. You made it crystal clear ages ago that you wanted nothing to do with me or care about what I had to say, so I don't have time to catch you up on my life.”

“Princess,” I say, a sharp ache piercing my chest. I never wanted her to see me as a worthless asshole, but now she does. How do I even tell her I left so she could have a better life, but it didn't work out like I thought?

“Let’s make something clear, Xander,” she says, placing her palms on the countertop of the bar. As soon as she leans forward, the scent of her perfume immediately transports me. “I’m not your fucking princess. I'm just some chick you fucked back in the day, same as all the others.”

“No fucking way. I didn't think of you like that at all.” Her words cut like tiny blades. Is that truly what she thinks? Does she really think that's all she meant to me?

“Your actions say it all. Just leave me alone, Xander.”

She walks away, making me want to scream and tell her she's completely wrong. I wanna spill everything to her. How leaving her was the biggest mistake of my life. That the pain of my broken heart has forever changed me. But deep down, I know that no matter what I say, she won’t believe me. Instead, I snatch the two bourbons from the bar and make my way back to where Theo and Nate are deeply engaged in conversation, captivating a small crowd at their table.

I walk past them and head to the empty table on the side of the room. I just want to be alone, and get fucking wasted.

As soon as I take a seat, I hastily gulp down one of the drinks, realizing that time has slipped away. There’s no going back. It turns out her mother was right all along. She sees me exactly as she had predicted. Just like everyone else. The worst scum of the earth.

I quickly down the other drink, feeling its warmth spread through my body, and catch the waitress walking past.

"I'll give you a hundred bucks if you can score me a full bottle of Jack," I say to her.

She nods and heads to the bar.

Earlier, Ace lectured me about mingling with those who have paid a high price to be here tonight, but fuck that.

"It didn't go well," Theo says, passing me a glass of bourbon and plopping down in the chair next to me.

“What do you think?” I grab the glass and quickly consume its contents, hoping the alcohol will dull the ache, fully aware it’s over. Poppy Reeves will never be in my life again.

Chapter forty-one

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