Page 55 of Cold Foot Cash

“Lance, Lance, always something with Lance. God, Harley, the world doesn’t revolve around you. Did it ever occur to you that I’m going through something awful too?”

“Awful like a divorce?” she asked in a small voice, trying to wrap her head around her sister’s anger.

“Yeah. Cash messaged me from some guy’s phone and sent me a video of the guy who’s been catfishing me, and I’m half a bottle of wine deep and pissed off, Harley. So no, I don’t give a shit about whatever mean truth Lance said to you.”

“Mean…truth.” So many things were clicking into place for her. “You asked me to stop talking to Cash, and I did. I came home like you wanted. But now I’m supposed to go through this week alone?”

“Oh sure, put me on a guilt trip. I can’t deal with your drama right now.” Carolina hung up.

She had friends, but they’d all been a part of the friend group with Lance. They all hung out with him still. They’d all met and gone drinking with Alissa. Lance had already called her mom, and she didn’t want to confide in anyone with ties to him.

Never in her life had she felt so alone.

That’s what men like Lance did—they alienated their prey until they just didn’t want to exist anymore. They made life so heavy, that it felt unbearable.

She closed her eyes as two tears raced down her cheeks.Do I even want to be here anymore?She’d never asked herself that in all her life, but right now, did she?

Harley opened her eyes as another sob wracked her body, and something fluttered in the breeze from the AC. There was Cash’s white feather in her cupholder, just sitting there where she’d left it. She’d put it in here and held it before she’d gone in, just hoping some of Cash’s strength and happy mojo would wear off on her.

Harley plucked the long feather from the cupholder and ran her fingertips up the cold shaft. God, she missed Cash. That made no sense, right? She’d only just met him this week, but she missed how happy she was with him. She missed…she missed…she missed herself.

Cash brought out the old her so easily, and God, she’d felt so hurt for so long, it had been a breath of fresh air to be around someone who liked her for exactly who she was.

She pressed the feather against her chest and exhaled a sob, forced herself to think of something happy.

Cash’s talons gentle around her arms…

Cash’s smile by the bonfire…

His wings spread wide as he played angel and stroked her hair from her face…

“We both know I can seduce you whenever I want…”

Him leaning against the open door of her car the first time they met…

The coffees waiting outside her motel door…

The paper bag of candy…

Feeding an owl shifter gummy worms…

That part dragged a heavy laugh from her, but the tears wouldn’t stop.

Garret offering her his rental house to recover in…

The way the girls of the Cold Foot Crew included her…

Darts with a handsome man…

Cashew…

Favorite garden ho…

She laughed thickly again, but it turned to a whimper.

The way he laughed when she did her elephant sound…

Canned margaritas…

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