Page 29 of False Start

Rory shot up in her seat and hunched over her phone. “The girl’s parents sure were vocal about the whole thing. At least the mother according to this. They were at the ribbon cutting ceremony of the new physical therapy wing at the hospital about four years ago now, and she, well, let’s just say she’s still bitter.”

I glanced down at the picture on Rory’s phone. “What does it say?”

“We’re proud to be here and witness the opening of yada, yada, yada, if only the negligence of one of our own in Galloway Bay hadn’t cost our Lana her ability to walk, who knows if we would have even needed a place like this.”

Marty cringed. “I don’t think that came out how she intended. At least I hope that’s not how she meant it.”

“I don’t know about that. She goes on, each comment more awful than the last,” Rory said with a wince.

The beer turned bitter on my tongue. “She literally disregarded anyone else who might have a need for physical therapy. I don’t even know what to say to that.”

Sean moved through the room, offering each of us cheese. “Poor Lana. Damn.”

“Well, I didn’t see this before. Lana Bradley made a statement to The East Coaster in direct response to her mother’s comments.” Rory scanned her phone, a gleam in her eye and an eager grin spreading over her face. “Oh shit, this is good.”

“Well, read it, girl; don’t keep it all to yourself,” Marty said from the kitchen as she dumped the shrimp in the water.

“Unfortunately, my mother refuses to accept that I’m responsible for where I am today,” Rory began. “I knew how old I was when I skated onto the track, and I knew I didn’t belong there. Fact of the matter is, I was selfish and I didn’t care. I paid the price for it. Someone I care a whole lot about also paid the price of my selfishness through no fault of his own. It’s time to move on. My mother forgets that the world does not revolve around me. The truth, and what she should have acknowledged, is this new physical therapy wing is going to make a huge difference in the quality of life for our community. For the investors that made this happen, thank you. And may I suggest focusing the next infusion of funds on advanced mental health services, particularly for people in denial.”

Someone she cares a whole lot about…Priest. I shouldn’t be jealous of that. It made no sense to be jealous that this woman I didn’t even know, knew him on a much more personal level than I did.

I needed something stronger than a damn beer.

“Very grown-up and ended with a snarky dismount. I dig it,” Sean said.

“Through no fault of his own,” Zara said quietly. “She’s got to be talking about Priest. But how could he not know?”

Marty sucked the beer off her upper lip. “Backed up her birth year by a year when she signed up probably.”

“Why are we even hashing this out? It doesn’t matter. If everyone just stays away from him, the problem is solved,” Eve said.

All eyes swung in my direction.

“Hey, I don’t like that tone.”

Rory smirked. “We didn’t say anything.”

“Your eyes said plenty and they’re mouthy little bastards. Put your faces away.”

“Well, none of us were hanging out with him. Twice,” Zara said with a shrug.

“Banked Track was not my fault. And The Shipwreck—you know what, that wasn’t my fault either.”

“Dude, are you blushing?” Marty asked.

“What? No!” I scrambled over to the mirror only to find that I was definitely blushing.

“I’ve never seen you blush before. Didn’t know it was possible. Turn red with rage, sure, but blushing? You?” Marty said with a snort, putting me even more on the spot.

“This is going to be a problem. I can feel it,” Eve muttered.

“It’s not like he’s some kind of God and I’m some feckless female just waiting to fall tits up at his feet. You all act like I can’t resist the dick. I dated her,” I said, pointing at Eve, “for a full year and never even missed the dick.” I tossed the words over my shoulder, willing my rogue cheeks to stop breaking out in a flush that had freshly fucked written all over it. I mean, if this was happening over a trip down memory lane, getting a rib set in place, what the hell would happen if—you know what, no if. They were waiting for me to surrender to the if.

No. If.

“Just doing my job,” Eve said, the corner of her mouth twitching with the words.

“Look, I’m not looking to hop on a bone because who needs the hassle of a damn man when I can buy one in any size I want and it doesn’t talk back,” Rory began, “but even I know that guy is like biting into shortbread, finding out it’s a gooey chocolate chunk, and an hour later realizing you ate an edible.”

“It’s simple then. Just say no,” Zara said with a straight face, making the rest of us break out in cackling laughter, easing the tension, but not obliterating it altogether.

Cause like she said, Priest was gooey chocolate chunk and while drugs had never been my thing, I was all of a sudden totally down with popping an edible.

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