of my damn car and woman-up already. I mean this was Corey!—Why was I making it so difficult??
I pulled the door of the bar open, made a few steps inside and felt my heart twist around as I took in the sight in front of me. Corey stood behind the bar popping the top off a beer with a grin from ear-to-ear while a scantily clad woman captured his attention. Her hair was raven black and hung long down her back; she wore a yellow tube top and black skirt that clung to her thighs. The woman reached out and took the beer from him after rubbing her hand down his arm in a purely flirty manner. What killed me was the way he responded with desire in his eyes and scanned her body as he leaned in toward her. The girl oozed desperation, but the thought that she wanted him just for his body sent a fire through my body. This slutty bumblebee knew nothing about him or wha amazing fperson he was and she never would. It was girls like her that made me furious—Corey deserves so much better than someone like that.
Someone like me.
I felt the bile rising in my throat at the sight—I was a fool to come. Corey turned toward the door and our eyes locked. His surprise to see me wasn’t held back, the need I felt to talk to him echoed back in the blue of his eyes.
I turned and pushed my way back out as fast as humanly possible. I couldn’t get out of there quick enough and hurried towards my car. I had just about made it when someone came running up behind me.
“Danielle, wait—what are you doing here?”
Reluctantly I turned, arms wrapped tight around myself. A few tears were already in the process of rolling down my cheeks as the scene before me seared itself into my brain.
“Nothing, I shouldn’t have come,” I breathed out; frustrated and embarrassed all at once.
Corey crossed his arms over his chest but didn’t back away. “Why did you come?” His voice softened; true concern in his eyes.
“I’m a mess.” I let out a laugh as more tears streamed down and my voice caught. “I just wanted to tell you that and I don’t know, I just…” I paused; shaking my head, looking away from Corey’s gaze.
“You just what?”
“I just wanted to talk to you and apologize for the way I acted the other night.” We were both silent as I continued staring at the ground.
Corey took a few steps toward me and slowly moved his hands up my neck to frame my face. “I want to hear what you have to say, but not here.”
“I’ll come back,” I said; meeting his eyes for the first time. The look he gave me had me wanting to throw my arms around him and just hold on to all I’d desperately missed over these past few days.
“No, I want to talk now but… will you go somewhere with me.” There it was again, that vulnerability I didn’t want to turn down. Before I realized it, I found myself nodding.
“Yes.” He smiled.
“Okay, just wait right here for a second. Don’t go anywhere.” This time I smiled. “I’m not going anywhere,” I said. He gave my shoulders a quick squeeze before running back into the bar. Before I knew it he returned and gestured for me to follow him behind his building. I followed, but my arms remained tangled across my chest.
“I didn’t mean to interrupt anything.” The words left before I could stop them. Corey turned toward me and immediately got what I was implying.
With a look back at the bar he said, “Trust me,” he said with a roll of his eyes. “You are a welcome interruption. I just ran back in to let Jerry know I was leaving and that he was in charge of the bar.”
“Oh, alright.”
We walked around to a small garage that I hadn’t noticed before. Corey knelt down at the bottom of the door and turned the dial on the lock until it clicked open. Slowly he pulled the door up and sitting inside was an all-black, shiny motorcycle. I let out a sarcastic smile as I rolled my eyes.
“How cliché—guy covered with tattoos owns a bike. Very original.” Corey shot me a wink. A smirk tugged on those tantalizing lips. I watched as he kicked the stand up on the bike, threw his leg over and started backing out. The ease