Page 4 of Thorn Kiss
Bands of scarlet clouds stretched across the sky as the sun crept over the mountains in the distance. Cacti scattered across the dirt, thorns gleaming with the prickly promise of my demise.
Why had I done this to myself? Every single mile closer to this dusty place was another mile away from the city I’d called home most of my life.
But, my life was falling apart.
The breakup. Not just a breakup, but being cheated on with a sexy blonde that was two decades younger than him. I had half a mind to warn her to get as far away from him as possible, but maybe we all had to suffer the toxic narcissist older boyfriend stage in our twenties.
Losing my job hurt more than the breakup. My job was everything to me. Dream Ink was the proof I’d needed at holiday dinners that I was not only an artist, but a successful one. Now what was I going to do? Tell my parents they were right about art school? Fuck no.
My current solution was jamming all of my belongings into a tiny storage unit and pretending I’d definitely have my shit together in a few weeks. That was about the only thing I had going for me at the moment.
Every faulty thread I’d used to sew myself together had snapped. The few friends I thought I’d had in my life sided with Justin after the breakup, believing the story he’d woven.
Poor Justin.I’d neglected him. I’d been a terrible girlfriend. He’d only cheated on me because he’d met his soul mate—Veronica.
And they ate it all up. Every single rotten, tasteless crumb.
Hot tears burned at the corners of my eyes, but I was too stubborn and pissed off to let them fall. My muscles tightened as I turned onto a street sandwiched by rows of cute buildings. White stones with terracotta tiles on the roof were disrupted by a blue two-story hotel, a gallery, a flower shop—all bright, like jewels in a bin of sandstone.
“Thank god,” I whispered.
Finally, there were signs of life. A few people bustled back and forth outside the little hotel. A flash of pink and white waved in the wind. Ribbons? Really huge chiffon ribbons that were hideous. What in the hell were they decorating for?
I was just glad to see this town had at least five people.
My eyes darted forward again. “Fuck!”
I slammed on the brakes. The tires squealed as a woman froze in front of mein the middle of the street.
Oh my god, I’d almost hit her. My hand flattened over my wild heart as I stared.
Her eyes, lined with perfect wings, went wide. She stood in front of me clutching a bucket of roses, her hair the same shade as the petals. Tattoos crawled up her bare arms as she crossed them. She had a cute, slender nose that fit her heart-shaped face perfectly. Piercings glinted along the shell of her ear, her hips tilting as she glowered at me.
Fuck. I couldn’t believe I’d almost hit her. “I’m so sorry,” I called through the window.
This was humiliating. Maybe we could switch places and she could run me over? This was like the time I’d nearly backed into a woman and her child because they’d come fromnowhere, and when I went to apologize, my hand slipped and I’d honked the horn. I still thought about that regularly.
“Sorry. I’m so sorry,” I said again.
The pink-haired woman shook her head and crossed the street toward the hotel.
Fuck me, she was gorgeous.
Fresh embarrassment flooded my veins. I’d never live this down. Running over a beautiful woman would be the final nail in the coffin of my poor decision to take this artist residency.
Smoke billowed from the hood as I eased my foot on the gas again, trembling.
I can do this. I can do this.I just needed to make it down the street, take a left,not hit someone,and get to the auto shop. Then I’d make my way back to that little hotel, check myself in, and stay in bed for a week.
The car hissed as I took a painfully slow turn. A sigh of relief loosened the tension in my shoulders as the auto shop came into view. I’d checked the listing and while it had a whole three reviews online—one of which made a particularly thirsty comment about the mechanic having pretty eyes—it was my only option.
Quite literally, the only option out here. The only other auto shop was about an hour away.
The moment the tires hit the tiny parking lot, I rolled into a spot, put it in park, and sank into the leather seat.
Victory.
I’d done it.
