Page 35 of Kiss & Collide
“You have to tell him what you want.”
“And if he doesn’t want that? Then it’s over.”
Violet set down her fork and leaned forward on her elbows. “Leon, if you want a relationship but he just wants hookups, then it’s already over. You just don’t know it yet.”
Leon blinked. “Harsh. Harsh but true.”
She shrugged. “I call it like I see it.”
“So when areyouhaving the big talk?”
“What talk? With who?”
Leon gave her a bored glance. “You and Chase.”
She swallowed around a bite of rigatoni that had suddenly turned to glue in her throat. “Umm, how did you know about that?”
“It’s kind of hard to miss the way you two look at each other.”
That was slightly alarming. It was fine if people knew they were hooking up. She didn’t much care. But the idea that the way they looked at each other betrayed feelings … well, that certainly bothered her.
“No talk to have. Unlike you, I’m good with just hookups.”
“Really?”
“Really. I’m not a commitment kind of girl.”
“What if Chase is a commitment kind of guy?”
She let out a burst of laughter. “Trust me, he’s not.”
Leon’s eyebrows hiked up as he made a show of cutting a piece of lettuce into tiny pieces. “Just be careful. Feelings have a way of sneaking in no matter what you intended—just look at me.”
“I promise, I’ve got this under control.”
If only she felt as confident as she sounded. She was always charging in, giving other people relationship advice, arrogantly thinking she had her own shit all figured out.
But now fuckingIanhad taken to texting her. She never replied, but she also hadn’t blocked him yet. She’d always imagined that if he ever reached out again, she’d shut him down in a heartbeat. Instead, she let every sappy fucking text glow on her screen and told herself that next time, for sure, she’d block him.
And then there was Chase. She should probably put an end to that, just to keep things clean. But just like she couldn’t seem to block Ian, she couldn’t seem to stay out of bed with Chase.
As soon as she’d arrived in Hungary, she’d texted him to come over.
Honestly, someone needed to giveherthe tough talk.
Behind Leon, Violet saw Imogen slip into the commissary and head in their direction.
“Please tell me Reece isn’t already drunk,” she said when Imogen reached their table.
Imogen waved her hand. “No, he’s fine. He’s watching from the garage today. Emil’s got someone sitting with him to explain how qualifying works. I think he’s really learning.”
Imogen, bless her optimistic heart, had decided Reece wasn’t beyond redemption, if only he understood the sport better. Thank god the world contained starry-eyed dreamers like her or there would be no hope for humanity.
“Speaking of quali,” Leon said, pushing back from the table, “I’d better get back to my actual job. Toss that for you?”
Violet handed him her tray. “Thanks. And remember what I said.”
“I will, I will. I promise.”
