Page 3 of Fight For Her
I tried not to think about the obnoxiously hot elephant lingering between our silent pauses. Mia knew better than to mention him, but I could see her pursing her bottom lip contemplating voicing his name.
“Is it possible you’re still crushing on Coby?”
There it was.
She spoke faster. “I know you said it was nothing, and you weren’t that into him, but maybe, deep down, you wanted to see where the relationship would go? Maybe him ending it the way he did bothers you more than you want to believe?”The way she tilted her head to the side, questioning, made her look like Remy’s twin.
I shrugged and studied my tube of MAC Ruby Woo like it was the most interesting object in the world.
Thinking about Coby had me feeling confusing things, feelings I flat out refused to feel about him. We didn’t even sleep together, and he managed to get under my skin. I felt like someone served me an enchanted apple a la Snow White. One bite and I was a goner for Coby. But if I didn’t bring him to the front of my mind, then I could keep the enchantments far away.
“I’m notcrushingon him. I’mpissedat him. There’s a difference.”
“We have no idea why he up and left. There could have been some kind of family emergency, or maybe he was chosen to compete in a Krav competition abroad. I don’t know. Stranger things have happened. Don’t listen to all the bologna rumors. I’m sure he’ll be back soon and then you guys can talk.”
I huffed and peeled my mask off. I loved this part. My skin always felt like a baby’s bottom afterward, and I got to see all the dead skin and gunk that came out of my pores.
“I don’t care why he up and left. I don’t care about him. But it would have been nice to have gotten an actual reason when he dumped me. That’s all.”
Mia sat up and took a sip out of her water bottle. “I’ll never understand the minds of men. You weren’t the only one that got the vague text. He only told Mark he wasn’t going to be around the gym for a while. Without it they’d have formed a search party and called the cops after a few days. I know it’s not the same thing, but maybe it can offer some comfort.”
I left the bathroom and plopped onto my bed, tucking my legs underneath me. “Whatever. We weren’t serious. He made it abundantly clear that he didn’t do serious when we started talking. Honestly, after Ben and the bar guy, it was the main reason I even talked to him.”That and the fact that he was six feet of hot, muscular man. Finding a man like him in Palm Cove was a rarity.
I thought about Coby’s tanned skin with faint lines showing he didn’t shy away from the sun. He had perfect bone structure and a smile that could make me skip a breath. He flaunted his stupid smile with his perfect white teeth whenever he could. And don’t even get me started on his eyes—hazel gray, like deep pools of water or clouds before a storm. When he studied you, it felt like you were the only person in existence. Those eyes had a life of their own.
“Okay, well it was just a thought.” Mia spoke so softly that she made me realize how gruff I probably sounded. “Hopefully, we’ll hear from him soon, and maybe that’ll put your mind at ease. In the meantime, do some journaling and think about some things that would make you feel like your old self again. Maybe talk with Claudia at work tomorrow too.”
I yawned, realizing how tired I was. “Okay, Mi, I’ll try. Sorry for being a grump. Love you.”
She beamed. “I love you too, grumpiness and all. Get some rest. And tell your mom, the next time you talk to her, no more setups, especially from Sally.”
That pulled a laugh out of me. “Number one on my to-do list. Night, Mi.”
“Night.” She puckered her lips for a quick camera smooch before the screen went blank.
As exhausted as I felt, I had to do my secret nightly ritual before I could settle. Ritual might be the wrong word, truthfully, I’d only done it in the month since Coby sent me the vaguest of breakup texts and mysteriously disappeared out of Palm Cove.
I pulled up his profile on Facebook and scrolled through his photos and posts, searching for details that may allude to where he was or what he was up to. I knew I was being ridiculous doing this night after night, but seeing his face before I fell asleep made me feel peaceful even with how angry I was at him. Wherever he was, and whatever he was doing, maybe he was thinking of me too?
Chapter 2
Coby
Iswallowedthelastdregs of beer and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. The ice-cold beer here at the Cowboy Club, was the only thing keeping me sane the past few weeks.Leaning back on my rickety wooden barstool, I signaled to Pete to bring me another. I wanted to get to the point where I almost forgot that I was back in my shithole of a hometown before sleep took me under.
Looking around this place, it hadn’t changed much since I used to sneak in here and finish off my old man’s whiskey while trying to cajole him back home for my mama. The entire bar was built, floor to ceiling, with wooden planks. They looked rustic and homey, but nothing held the scent of spilled beer, piss, and vomit like old, warped wood. The tongue and groove flooring was misaligned in spots after years of bar fights and cowboy boot scuffs. If you didn’t watch where you were walking, you’d bust your ass on those uneven death traps. Pete couldn’t care less though. This bar has been in his family since Verdant Valley was founded and named Lord only knows how many years ago. Hell would freeze over before he changed a thing in here.
I let my eyes run over the multiple stuffed bison heads hanging like prized possessions and the one lonely jukebox that only played songs from 1955. A few old, dejected miners sat around nursing their beers, counting down the minutes until they’d have to go back home to their wives.
My mama drilled into me that only unsavory women came to the Cowboy Club from the time I could listen. It was bullshit; I knew. Even so, I couldn’t help but hear my mama’s voice as I eyed the curvy redhead who’d been checking me out all night from across the bar. She turned to her friend beside her and laughed under her breath before running her fingers through her hair and taking a slow pull from her beer.
There was no doubt she was unsavory. But what my mama didn’t know about me was, unsavory was how I needed them these days, and here in good old small town, USA, the pickings were slim. The women here were either married at eighteen and living the miner’s wife lifestyle or just passing through on their way to Yellowstone or Jackson. I didn’t blame them. There was absolutely nothing special or exciting about Verdant Valley, Wyoming.
I took a swig of my beer and peeked at Red every few seconds. I couldn’t come off as too interested. I knew these types. They wanted the mysterious asshole guys. They were probably from California, or something, on a road trip adventure and wanted to fuck some cowboy who looked like Rip Wheeler from that stupid-ass showYellowstone. That wasn’t me. Although, being back up here in the mountains made me grow my beard out again.
I’d probably shave it off once I went back to Florida.
As I finished my beer, I decided it was now or never. Any more to drink and my dick might not do what I wanted it to do.I pushed off the stool, which caused a shrill squeal to cut through the chatter of the bar. Red turned and looked my way. I tipped my chin up at her from across the space and dropped a twenty on the bar for Pete.
