Page 49 of Renegade

Wasn’t I worth more than that?

When Mike joined me out on the patio, I was right back where I started in Galveston, weighing the pros and cons of sleeping with him. It was futile—the minute he fixed those piercing blue eyes on me, all the cons went right out the window.

David wrapped his arms around Elizabeth. “You okay, Beth? God, you just looked so scared. It’s amazing that some guys have absolutely no respect.”

I turned away, afraid my face would give away all my secrets.

“You got something you wanna share with the class?” Mike whispered in my ear.

I looked over at him and smiled sweetly. “I have no idea what you mean. Weren’t you about to tell me something back in there…before all the drama?”

He’d been going in for a kiss; I knew it.

With a playful grin on his face, he responded, “I have no idea what you mean. Are you trying to pick me up, Lauren? I’m not that kind of guy. I’m actually already seeing someone.”

Maybe I’d misread the situation. I stared down at the patio deck and fidgeted with my earring. I could feel my cheeks growing warm; I was probably as red as a tomato right now.

He reached out and lightly grabbed my upper arm. “Hey, Red, I’m fucking with you. I’d screw you in the bathroom right now if you’d let me.”

I expected him to laugh, but when I looked in his eyes, I realized that he was serious.

And that was the moment I knew that I would never be anything more than a notch in Mike’s bedpost. It was also the moment that I decided, I was worth so much more than that.

My four year-long fantasy came to an abrupt end right there on the patio atNick’s.

“Thanks for inviting me. I had a blast.” I almost tripped over my heels in my haste to get out of the limo and into my car.

I’d sat and picked apart a napkin, while David and Elizabeth danced as if they didn’t have a care in the world. Mike had pulled out his cell phone not long after our conversation and spent the remainder of the evening pretending I wasn’t sitting just across the table from him.

I snatched my purse off the seat and walked briskly to my car.

“Red! C’mon, Red. Wait up.” Mike jogged after me.

I was fumbling through my purse, trying to find my keys, when he caught up to me. “Hey, talk to me.”

My eyes began to sting and I mentally kicked myself for being weak. I bit down on the inside of my cheek and looked up from my purse. “It’s Lauren and I just want to get home. It’s late.”

He ran both hands through his hair in exasperation. “At least let me walk you to your car.”

I pointed at the window. “We’re at my car.”

He dropped his hands. “Right. I could go back to your place and we could talk.”

I snorted and shook my head. “Yeah, I’m gonna pass on that. Thanks for the offer though, and good luck with the whole cop thing.”

I located my keys and managed to get the door unlocked and open when he slammed it shut again. “Just hear me out, Lauren. I don’t know what you’re expecting, but—”

“You’re not it,” I finished helpfully, before reopening the door and climbing in. It wasn’t the truth. The truth was that I wanted him just as badly, if not more, than he wanted me. Being transparent about that would only cause me more hurt in the end.

I made it to the end of the block before the sob broke free from my chest. Then I pounded my fist against the steering wheel and screamed.

Why couldn’t he have seen me as more than just his next conquest?

Didn’t what we shared mean anything to him?

He probably did that sort of thing with all the girls he met.

That thought caused me to dissolve into full-blown weeping. I just wanted someone that wanted to fall in love with me—was that too much to ask?

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