The Do-Over (The Rooftop Crew #5) - Piper Rayne Page 0,22

she wanted to do the various charity rides for causes. I think this new stunt with the paintball is just another cause she feels nothing for but wants to belong to.”

The waitress comes over and sets down the two beers.

After she leaves, Kamea asks, “What are you saying?”

“I used to think she was leaving me to go do good in the world,” I say. “Every time I was with her, she’d have some new charity or cause, whether it be animals or child abuse or whatever.”

She sips her beer and it’s clear from her pursed lips she’s not a beer drinker. “I don’t see why that’s bad.”

I sip my own beer. “It’s not bad per se, but Leilani floats around this world finding groups of people fighting for some cause they truly believe in. She’s not necessarily about the fight as much as she is about fitting in. It took me a long time to realize that.”

“Are you sure you’re not just jealous because she didn’t pick you?”

Her comment has me drawing back. I wait a moment to compose my thoughts, something I learned on the force early on. I couldn’t be that smart-mouth kid I was growing up.

“No, I’m not jealous. I’ll be honest… I had wished things were different with Leilani, but I’m over that now. She uses people. She infiltrates a group, usually finds a way to get to the top of the ladder, then when she’s bored or she thinks someone has figured her out, she bolts. Moves on to something else or just disappears.” I gulp down my beer, wishing I wasn’t having a conversation about the woman who took my heart and tore it in two.

Kamea twirls her beer bottle back and forth. “I’m sorry she hurt you.”

“This isn’t about me.” I slide out of my chair, digging cash out of my wallet.

“What are you doing?” she asks, her innocent doe eyes questioning.

“We’re leaving. I was wrong. I can’t help you find her. I want nothing more than to forget her. And though I am over her, you giving me that sappy look like my dog got ran over by a semi isn’t working for me.” I throw a twenty on the table, but she puts her hand over mine and squeezes.

“I’m sorry.”

I slide my hand out from hers, mostly because it’s giving me thoughts I shouldn’t have about her. “Don’t be. I’m just sick of no one believing me. Shit, I’m sure my friends think you’re the one to help get me over Leilani, but why do people think I’m lying?”

“If you sit down, I think I can help you with that.” Kamea shrugs and her eyes shift to the vacant chair across from her.

I huff and sit down. “What?”

“You accepted her back so many times from what I heard.”

“Who told you that?”

She picks at the label of her beer. “Jax did.”

“Motherfucker.”

“In his defense, I think he assumed I knew because just like everyone thinks you aren’t over Leilani, everyone thinks she and I are close because I paid for her bail. But we aren’t. I knew you left the bar with her that night, and she told me a little bit here or there when she was around, but I had a hard time piecing it all together.”

“Remind me to thank Jax.”

“I’m glad he told me.” She looks at me with a look I’ve gotten from a lot of women in my life. She was thinking maybe there was a chance with us. “I mean, if you had just dated her that one time…” She shakes her head. “Never mind. Anyway—”

“What were you going to say?”

She picks at the label again. “You’re so strong, outwardly, and you seem to keep a lot inside. I think people assume that if you fell so hard for her, that’d be a hard thing to get over.”

I sip my beer. “It was. I was a mess for a long time, but the longer I thought about our relationship, the more I realized she used me. In a weird way, I feel like she used me as her stability, a constant she could come to when her life grew so out of control she didn’t know where to go.”

“That’s not a bad thing.”

“It is when I wanted more. I was all in with her. I was willing to change careers for her.” I huff and down the rest of my beer. “I was a fool.”

She places my hand between hers. “I’m sorry you were hurt, and if