Page 58 of Flirting with the Bad Boy

My shoulders slump and I exhale a deep breath. “Why couldn’t things have worked out between us?”

Wordlessly, he steps out of the way, giving me enough room to walk past him. After I enter, he closes the door and follows me into his living room. I take a seat on one side of his brown leather sectional, and he sits two cushions away from me. A moment passes before he says, “Um. I don’t know if you want me to answer your question or if it was rhetorical.”

I flop against the back of the couch and throw my arm over my eyes. “I just left my parents. We got into a huge fight about how I’m a big disappointment.”

“How is that possible?” The couch cushion next to me dips as Trey moves closer.

“Ledger.” I sigh. “And how we’re dating.”

“Ah. So, if you were dating someone like me, that wouldn’t be an issue.”

With saying a word, I tap the tip of my nose. “The Wine on the Water event is this weekend. As much as I don’t want to be there, I need to be, but there is no way I can bring Ledger as my date.”

“I can always be your date.” He wiggles his eyebrows.

My forehead creases. “Did you forget how well that turned out last time?”

He laughs. “Fair enough. I have my own ticket anyway, so it doesn’t matter. You’ve never been one to back down from a challenge.”

“As much as I would love to piss off my parents right now, I just can’t. Plus, they want me to go with some surgeon’s son.” I drop my head to my hands. “Maybe I need to cool it with Ledger. At least until things settle down.” Plus, it might jeopardize his business, but I don’t tell Trey that.

“Is that what you want?”

“It’s not about what I want, but what’s best for the situation. You don’t understand what my dad is capable of. Hell, I’m terrified of what he might be capable of.” I clasp and unclasp my hands in my lap.

“So, you’re not going to mention the event to Ledger? If I recall, that didn’t go over very well either.”

“It’s a lose-lose situation.” A giant pit sits at the bottom of my stomach. When did life become so complicated? I need to make a decision and time is running out. Ledger loses his business, or I lose Ledger. And there’s only one obvious choice. My heartbeat thunders in my throat. I can’t believe what I’m about to say. I peer up to Trey. “It’s hard to take you seriously with that on your head.” Trey shrugs. “But I know what I have to do.”

TWENTY-EIGHT

IT’S ALL DIFFERENT

Ledger

Using a rubber mallet, I tap on the front axle bolt. With my concentration on the motorcycle, I don’t hear anyone come into the shop until a dark shadow casts over me. Glancing up, I shield my eyes from the sun, and Olivia's small frame comes into focus. Her tan legs on display leading up to a pair of denim shorts and a tank top that hugs her chest. It takes everything in me not to lift her up on my tool bench and bury my face between her legs. The scowl on her face tells me she didn’t come here for a ravishing.

“Hey duchess. I wasn’t expecting you today.” I rise to my feet and find a rag to wipe my grease covered hands.

“I need to talk to you,” she says, apprehension in her voice.

My eyebrows pinch together, and I lean against my tool bench, crossing one foot over the other. There’s a shift in the air. Something is wrong. I know it. “Well, talk.”

Her gaze drops and locks onto the cement floor. “I can’t do this anymore. Things are too complicated and you’re right,” finally her eyes meet mine but hers are void of any emotion, “we are from two different worlds. This would never work out between us.”

I can’t help but laugh. “You’re joking, right?”

“I’m sorry. I just can’t—”

I stand up straighter. “You’re lying.”

“Ledger, I’m sorry.” She’s looking in my direction, but it’s more like she’s looking through me and not at me. The conviction in her voice is lacking, as if she rehearsed the words.

In two steps I’m chest to chest with her. I grip her chin, forcing her to meet my gaze. “I know you. I know you’re lying.”

“Please don’t do this.”

“I’m not doing anything.” I drop my hand to my side. This time, moisture collects in the corner of her eyes. But I know it’s not because she’s leaving. It’s because of whatever reason she’s convinced herself that she needs to leave, even though, I know she doesn’t want to.

---