Page 180 of Red Zone
Poor bastard. Still hung up on his ex.
I shake my head and chuckle under my breath as I crack open another beer.
That’s when I feel a hand slide onto my arm.
“Carter,” a sweet, syrupy voice purrs behind me.
I turn, and sure enough—it’s Savannah.
She steps closer, her nails grazing over my sleeve, her smile sharp and practiced.
“You’ve been hard to pin down lately,” she says, her voice dripping with false warmth. “What, are you tied down to someone? Or just playing hard to get?”
I shake her hand off, meeting her gaze evenly.
“Just busy,” I say flatly.
But she doesn’t even flinch. If anything, her grin widens, like she takes it as a challenge.
“Oh, come on,” she teases, leaning in closer so her perfume hits me like a wall. “You don’t have to pretend with me. Everyone knows you’re not the type to stay tied down or get serious. Not with all the options you’ve got. You could have anyone in this room.”
I let the silence hang for a second, staring her down, before I finally answer.
“Maybe you don’t know me as well as you think you do.”
That earns me the faintest arch of her brow.
She circles me just slightly, running her hand down the edge of the cooler like she owns the place.
“Fine,” she says lightly, cocking her head at me. “If it’s not about the options, then what? What’s stopping you from just…having some fun? You don’t have to prove anything to anybody. This is your moment. Why waste it?”
I take a slow sip of my beer before answering.
“Because I’m focused,” I say quietly, my voice firm.
That actually makes her blink.
“Focused?” she echoes, like it’s a foreign concept.
“On my future,” I clarify, setting my beer down and straightening up. “On getting out of here. On making sure I actually have something to show for all of this when it’s over. That’s what I care about. Not…” I wave vaguely toward the rest of the room. “Whatever this is supposed to be.”
Her smile falters just barely before she recovers it, tossing her hair over her shoulder.
“Well,” she purrs, stepping back. “That’s very noble of you. Not many guys your age would walk away from an opportunity like me.”
I can’t help the faint smirk that tugs at my lips as I pick my beer back up.
“Guess I’m not like most guys.”
Savannah studies me for another second, her smile more brittle now, before letting out a soft laugh and turning on her heel.
“Your loss,” she calls lightly over her shoulder before disappearing into the crowd.
I drain the rest of my beer and set the empty bottle on the counter before pushing off, heading back into the living room.
The music’s louder now, the party even more packed, but I can still pick Beck out instantly.
He’s exactly where I last saw him—sitting on the couch, stiff as a board, the gorgeous brunette practically wrapped around him while he stares straight ahead like she’s about to bite him.
