Page 16 of The Mountain Man's Girl

“The police never called us back,” Kelsey states as if that’s an excuse.

“And in the meantime, you both decided to fuck. I see.” Makes perfect sense. “You know…” I turn toward Carter. “Even if I hated you both, I still would’ve been up there day and night, searching until I found you. I wouldn’t have stopped until I knew you were safe. It just goes to show the difference between someone who’s decent and someone who’s an asshole. You two are actually perfect for each other.”

“We were letting the police do their job,” Carter argues his pathetic point again, sounding pissed. “We didn’t want to interfere and get in their way. Where were you anyway?”

“I hurt myself. And the man whose land you trespassed on, helped me. He took me in, bandaged up my broken ankle, and then…” He made me feel special. He spoiled me day and night and took care of me. “He brought me back as soon as the storm cleared. He didn’t leave me in the woods like you all did.”

“We thought you were behind us,” Kelsey makes another piss-poor attempt at defending her actions. “If you hadn’t been in those stupid sneakers, you wouldn’t have hurt yourself.” And here we go playing the blame game again. I’m done. There’s no point in arguing with them anymore. It’s like circling a clogged drain. They’re never going to see the error in their ways. It’s truly sad how ignorant they are to common decency.

“You can blame it on whatever you want, Kelsey. But you never leave a man stranded. You guys are jerks, and I want you to leave.”

“But I live here.” Kelsey cocks her chin. “And he’s my guest, so he’s welcome too.”

I step right up to her, no longer intimidated by her bitchiness. Since living with Traeger, I gained a backbone, apparently. “Not anymore you don’t. This is my apartment. My dad is the one who pays the rent and allowed you to live here rent free, but his generosity has ended. So you can take your freeloading ass and leave.” For all the time she made fun of me for being spoiled, she certainly didn’t mind the perks. But those perks only come with a friendship, and she is no longer my friend.

She looks shocked, but she had to have seen this coming. Did she really think I was going to let her live in my place after how rude she was and after she decided to fuck my boyfriend? She’s the idiot now.

“Where am I supposed to live?”

“I don’t know.” I shrug. “With tiny dick.” I look toward Carter. It makes no difference to me where she lives, but it’s not going to be here. “I’m going to have the locks changed tomorrow, so make sure you come and get your things before three.”

She looks like she wants to say something, but what can she really say at this point? And even if she apologized, I have no use for it. I’m done. With both of them.

I turn and walk into my room, picking up my phone to call my dad. I need to get him to have the locks changed. And after everything I’ve been through, I could use some comfort.

“Hi, sweetheart.”

“Hi, Dad. How are you?”

“Hey, listen, Jules and I are about to eat dinner. Is it okay if we talk later? Maybe in a day or two?”

I haven’t spoken to him in almost two weeks. He has no idea I broke my ankle or that I’ve been up in the mountains for the last week, but it doesn’t seem like he cares. He’s busy with his young girlfriend. She’s become his priority over the last six months. Although, by now I should be used to it. Before her, there was another, and another. For as far back as I can remember, women have been coming in and out of my life.

“Oh, before you go, I just wanted to make sure you get two tickets for the graduation. Jules wants to come with me.”

Great. He wants to bring his twenty-three-year-old girlfriend to my graduation. This day keeps getting better and better.

“Okay, Dad.” I wish I’d never called him. Now, I’m even more depressed.

“Great. We’ll talk later. Love you.”

“Love you too.”

And once again, I’m alone with my pain and misery. Realizing that everyone I cared about just disappointed me in the last fifteen minutes.

16

Traeger

Ifeel like I want to tear the walls down. I’m going crazy. I can’t even stand to be in my own house anymore.

My phone rings and I want to throw it across the room.

“What?” I bark into the line.

“Fuck, man. You okay? You sound grumpier than usual.”

He has no idea. I can’t sleep, I can barely eat, and my chest feels like there’s a gaping hole in it. God, I miss her so fucking much.

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