The Introvert's Guide to Online Dating - Emma Hart Page 0,30
up to this, didn’t she?”
He shook his head. “She hasn’t said a word to me. I don’t have a bloody clue what’s going on, Tori, but I can see you don’t hate Colton half as much as you claim to.”
Swallowing, I glanced away. “That’s why I hate him.”
“Sure it is.” He reached over and put his hand on mine. “You need to be honest with him.”
“I am so tired of being told to do that!” I rubbed my hand over my mouth and drew in a deep breath. “No. I’m not going to tell him. Nothing good will come from me pouring my heart out to him.”
“Why? Because he’s with her and not you?”
“No. Because it doesn’t matter.” I pushed off the table and stormed to the bathroom. If I’d had any kind of brain power right now, I’d have walked out the door, but me storming to the bathroom wasn’t exactly an irregular occurrence.
I just needed to breathe.
Get away.
Spend some time the hell away from everyone else so nobody else could guess that I was absolutely, irritatingly in love with Colton Lane.
Apparently, I could no longer trust my face not to betray me.
Traitor. My face was a traitor.
I leaned over the sink and dropped my head down. It was so much cooler in here than the main bar, and I turned on the tap. Thankfully I had a hair tie around my wrist, so I pulled my hair back into a low pony and splashed water on my face.
“Oh, I’m sorry. Tori, right?”
I looked over to see Cora standing in the doorway. “Yeah. Small headache,” I explained.
Lamely.
That was so lame.
“Oh. Are you okay?”
“Just need a minute.” I smiled as genuinely as I could, and she nodded and dipped into one of the toilet cubicles.
Well, this had backfired.
At least I’d grabbed my purse. I’d ruined my makeup with splashing water on my face, and I was now thankful for the fact I kept wipes in my purse at all times. With little care, I scrubbed my face clean of all traces of makeup and tossed the dirty wipes in the little metal trashcan in the corner.
Cora came out right as I’d done that and washed her hands. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Perfectly fine. I have some aspirin in my purse. Thanks.”
“Okay.” She smiled way too brightly and left me alone.
I sagged against the wall.
Kinsley had been right.
She was perfect for Colton.
Don’t ask me how I knew. I just did.
The door opened again, and I barely had the energy to look up, but I did.
Saylor.
“Go on, then.”
“Go on, what?” she asked, tilting her head to the side.
I threw my arm out. “Let me hear it.”
Saylor shook her head and walked over to me. She pulled me off the wall and into her arms to hug me tightly.
It was a hug I was more than a little grateful for.
I wrapped my arms around her waist, and she held me for a good couple of minutes before she pulled back.
“You okay?”
“Not really.” I looked down at the floor. “I think I’m just going to head home.”
“Want me to come with you?”
“Only if you promise not to mention his name, tell me I need to tell him how I feel, or ask me anything at all about him.”
“Done.” She nudged me. “Shall we get ice cream on the way? I’m still hungry.”
I smiled. “Oh, yeah. We’re going to down our drinks then get the biggest ice creams ever.”
“Done.”
***
ME: I need to cancel tonight.
I put my phone down and turned back to the design I was working on. Seb had approved the fliers and sent me all the info, so I was working on pulling those together for him.
And my text message was the first step to ending this charade between me and Colton.
As much as there was a part of me that wanted him to come, my brain knew it was a bad idea.
It was time to draw the line.
If I could do that, I could move on.
COLTON: Why?
The message lit up my phone screen, and I reached for the phone to reply.
ME: Just do. I have other plans.
COLTON: You made other plans after we said we’d meet?
ME: I thought I’d texted you and canceled but I hadn’t. Sorry.
When his reply didn’t come quickly, I knew I’d pissed him off.
I also knew how very hypocritical I was being. Just one week ago I’d told him that he didn’t have a right to know anything about my dating life, and here I was, throwing a