Page 5 of Thirst For Me
Tears burn my eyes. She’s right. I know that, logically. But the hurt and the humiliation are so fresh ... my heart can’t quite accept the fact yet: that I can’t do anything to change or undo what’s been done.
And I know, just like there was no fixing things with Kyle ...
There’s no fixing this.
The money’s gone, and my business is dead in the water.
Chapter 2
Sierra
“Maybe I’ll just have to stay in this tiny little blip of a town,” I tell Sophie as full-blown panic sets in, “where there’s no cell service and no one will ever find me. Maybe I can change my name, and sling drinks at this bar, and—”
“You’re in a bar right now?”
“Oh, yeah. Did I not mention that I just met the hottest bartender in the known universe? Maybe if I hadn’t sworn off males for the rest of the year—you know, for mental health reasons—I’d take it as a good sign.”
“Okay, listen to me, Si. I say this with so much love. Whatever you do,do notget distracted by that hot but probably narcissistic bartender who’s already slept with every girl in town. You have not had the greatest luck with men this year.”
I sigh. “True.” Though “this year” is generous. Have Ieverhad any luck with men?
“Fuck Kyle, and fuck his parents, okay? You don’t need them. Who’s running your business?”
“Me.”
“Fucking right. There’s money to be made in Orchard Cove, so go make it. You’ve got this lease, and you’ve got smoothies to sell. So, keep your phone handy, and keep trying to reach June. If you can’t, get a hotel room. And I’ll see you tomorrow morning as planned. I’ll be over on the first ferry. We’ll talk more then.”
I blink away the tears that are stinging my eyes. I refuse to let them fall. “Okay.”
“Just go find some cute café to hang out in, and keep in touch with me. We’re going to get past this, sweetie,” my best friend reassures me. “You’ll see.”
“Yeah. You’re right.” I say the things I know she needs to hear, reassuring her that I’m okay, and say goodbye. When the call disconnects, I will myself not to check any more messages on my phone until I’m certain I won’t burst into tears.
I haven’t cried over Kyle or the breakup, I’m not going to cry over my entire fucking life falling apart.
Crying won’t put dollars in my bank account.
Sophie’s right. I’m fucking fine.
My eyes creep over to the photo of shirtless Mason.
I need to clear out of this man’s office before it gets weird.
I collect myself and emerge from the room, hugging my bag to my chest and feeling like I just took a nosedive into a gaping, dignity-gobbling chasm.
It’s a feeling I’m getting used to.
I feel so out of control. Maybe that’s the worst part.
The fact that Kyle dumped me with such a vengeance was out of my control. The fact that I had to watch his suspiciously pretty “best friend” swoop in to console him afterwards was not a hell of my own making. He chose those things. He choseher.
And I chose ... to come here.
Now he’s in the city with her, I’m here alone, and I have no idea how I’m going to fix anything. I would laugh if I wasn’t still halfway in shock.
Mason is behind the bar, and he looks over at me. For someone who said he was leaving “in a minute,” he doesn’t appear to be going anywhere. It’s almost like ... he’s been waiting for me?
Probably just wanted to make sure I didn’t rob the place.
