Tripping (Iced #2) - Kristine Allen Page 0,58

This was exactly why I’d avoided emotional entanglements. The thought of losing someone again was nearly suffocating.

Barely paying attention to what I was packing, I threw things in my suitcase.

“Sad”—Maroon 5

“Dammit!” I said as I slammed my hands on the locked glass door. I’d tried my damnedest to get there in time, but thanks to traffic, it had taken three times as long as it should’ve. The lights were off, and it was apparent everyone had left.

My shoulders slumped as my head dropped. “Of all the shitty-ass luck,” I moaned.

First, I’d had the argument with Cameron last night and foolishly ended things. Proof that I shouldn’t drink heavily. I definitely didn’t do my best thinking after alcohol. Then again, if it hadn’t been for alcohol, I wouldn’t have asked him to stay and cuddle me that first night.

I’d managed to convince myself that it was for the best, but that didn’t last long. I was insanely in love with him, and the thought of us ending things like that broke my heart. Possibly literally, because I’d had an ache in my chest and my throat had been tight since he’d driven off from my house.

It had been an asinine argument that had been blown out of proportion because of my insecurities and the buzz of alcohol tainting my decisions.

By the time I’d decided to call him, it had been insanely late, and I’d had several glasses of wine on top of the drinks I’d had at the pub with Cameron and his teammates. I’d had to pee like crazy but I couldn’t wait to call him, so I’d grabbed my phone from the counter as I moved to sit on the toilet. My reflexes were off just enough that when I did, I lost my balance, almost fell to the floor, the phone slipped from my hand and went right in the water as I plopped on the seat and started peeing.

Instinctively, I’d reached for it, only to pee on my hand. I shrieked, grabbed a towel from over the shower curtain rod and wiped my hand off. All I could do was stare down between my legs with my mouth hanging open in shock.

There had been no time to get it replaced before school because the store wasn’t open that early. After school obviously hadn’t worked either, because there I was, resting my head against the cold glass door of the wireless provider’s closed store.

I wanted to cry, but I was all cried out from the night before.

Leaving things with Cameron in this ugly limbo was giving me irrational anxiety.

A glance at my watch told me they were already in the air headed to Canada for the first game tomorrow night, or I would’ve driven to his house.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t search my phone for other locations that might still be open, because it was ruined. After peeing on it and being submerged in the toilet, it had been a total loss. I’d finally decided I needed to wipe it down with disinfecting wipes and put it in a plastic bag to bring with me. Not that they’d take it back, but I didn’t know if they could recover my contacts or photos.

Defeated, I drove to Sergio’s, since it was fairly close to the store. Maybe he still had Cameron’s number. My spirits started to lift. I knew he would.

I wasn’t paying attention, too busy thinking of what I’d say to Cameron, and had to slam on my brakes as a light turned red. The car behind me rear-ended me.

“What the hell, lady?” the guy shouted as I got out to assess the damage. Thankfully, it was only a tiny dent in my bumper, and he had a scrape. It had sounded a lot worse than it was.

“The light turned red,” I explained like it was a no-brainer.

We both decided it wasn’t worth claiming on insurance but exchanged information. I hoped he wouldn’t change his mind. That would be par for the course of my life at that moment, though.

When I arrived at Sergio’s condo, I parked in the driveway and trudged up to his door. The porch light was on, but the place was silent.

Of course.

“Dammit, Sergio! It’s a Wednesday night, where are you?” I muttered.

I went to my sister’s place next, since she didn’t live far from him. She wasn’t home either. I assumed she was working. I wrote her a note telling her what happened and stuck it in her door at eye level. My head was