Page 25 of Ruin
Lucian reaches into his back pocket, pulls out his wallet, then slips out a twenty and offers it over.
“Here. Take it.” He flicks his wrist, gesturing for me to take it, and because I’m an idiot, I do. He folds his wallet back up and shoves it into his pocket. “Is that all you need?”
No. I need so much fucking more. But I won’t ask because you fucking destroyed me.
But all that I say is, “No.” He holds my gaze, waiting for me to continue. “I need seventeen thousand, nine hundred and eighty more.”
A humored smile crosses his face slowly. “You’re fucking with me.”
“Do you think I’d torture myself for a game, Lucian?” I spit out.
His smile falls. He clears his throat. “I suppose not. What is the money for?”
Just tell him, Kolton. Just fucking tell him what it’s for and he’ll hand it over and you can go home.
But I can’t. I won’t.
I just need to know…
I need to fucking know that I have some control. I need to know that I can have the upper hand, even after all this time, even when I mean nothing to him and he means nothing to me.I just need to know that I can make him do something, that he will do something for me. That I hold a little bit of power when it comes to Lucian Carter.
We stand there in a stand-off, like in an old western movie. I have no idea who is going to move first, who will speak first, if any. We’re both stubborn and we could be here until the sun comes up. But he moves quicker than I expect him to. He turns and goes back to his car, opening the door, and my stomach drops because he’s leaving.
But that lasts only a moment before rage fills me. Blinding rage that has me seeing red.
He’s fucking leaving.
Only, he doesn’t get into his car. Heleansin and digs around for something. He comes out a moment later with something in his hand. He moves closer to me, stopping a foot away. All I can smell is him. That scent that is uniquely him. Like bourbon and musk.
“Take it.”
I look down to where his hand is held out. The check is flapping in the soft breeze. The only thing written on it is his signature.
“Take the fucking check, Kolton,” he snaps, his anger clear.
I snatch it from his grasp, fold it, and shove it into my back pocket, trying to hide my shaking hands.
I should leave now. I should tell him to go fuck himself and accidentally run him over with my truck on the way out. But all I do is stand there, caught in his stormy gaze. There’s somethingabout this place that haunts me. All the memories of him and me together. All the dreams I dreamt. All the wishes I made. All the pleas I whispered into the dark. All the promises he made. There’s a mountain of lies, right here in the parking lot. How can one place hold so much?
Lucian steps forward, so close I feel his body heat.
He raises his hand to my cheek. “My sweet—”
“Don’t you fucking dare.” I slap his hand away, and he drops it to his side, holding my gaze. At least he has the decency to not look offended this time. I may have punched him.
My body vibrates with rage.
I point a finger in his face, my breathing ragged. “You do not get to do that.” He doesn’t answer. “Doing this does not mean we’re going back to that.”
He nods once. “I understand.”
“I don’t fucking think you do, Lucian. I mean it. I want nothing to do with you.”
He nods again. “I hope whatever you need it for gets handled.” He takes a step back. “Have a good night, Kolton.”
He gets into his car and he drives off, leaving me alone.
Just like last time.
