On The Rebound (Steinbeck U #1) - L.A. Cotton Page 0,31

as it rushed through me.

I’d been here almost two hours. One-hundred and twenty minutes of pushing my body to its limits. My arms ached and my legs burned. But it wasn’t enough. I needed more. I needed to push harder until the pain drowned out all the other bullshit.

Declan.

My parents.

Victoria.

Calli.

Her name was like ash on my tongue, and I hadn’t even said it out loud. But the second I thought of her, I pictured those big whiskey eyes and pouty lips, her slim frame and pale skin. She looked fragile. Breakable. She looked like I could clench my hands around her bones and snap her clean in two. But she had more fight.

I liked that.

I wasn’t supposed to like it, but I did.

It got me hard just thinking about it.

Fuck.

She wasn’t supposed to get me hard.

But the harsh reality was, Calliope James was under my skin. She’d never left. But all the love I’d once felt for her was now something else entirely. Something darker and volatile. An unpredictable storm brewing beneath the surface.

If she kept pushing me, I’d snap.

And if I snapped then nothing good would happen…

For either of us.

Friday was a shit show. My mom called, upset that I’d refused to go with her and Victoria to the facility.

I never went there.

I couldn’t.

But it didn’t stop her begging me to go next time, crying down the phone and making me feel like the worst son a parent could ask for. But my grief was my own and sitting next to Declan’s unresponsive body wasn’t going to change that. Besides, I was still too angry to be there. It was better I stayed away.

That landed me with a less than pleasant voicemail from my old man. He was disappointed with me, but that was nothing new.

I managed to get through two classes before bailing. After stopping at the store for supplies, I locked myself in my apartment and set to work on drinking my way through a bottle of vodka.

Somewhere around half a bottle in, the door buzzer rang. I staggered to my feet, hitting answer. “Fuck off.”

“Zach, it’s me....”

I dropped my head to the wall and inhaled. “What do you want, Victoria?” It came out slurred.

“Let me up, please.”

I’d avoided her most of the week. After last weekend, when she’d tried to make a move, I’d closed down. I didn’t want to be that guy, no matter how much my dick protested.

I was a fucking mess.

“Zach,” her voice echoed through my skull. “Please.”

My hand slammed against the buzzer and a minute later her gentle knock sounded at the door. Unlocking it, I pulled it open, and staggered over to the couch.

“Jesus, this place smells worse than a bar after closing.” She loomed over me. “You’re drunk.”

“And you sound like my mom.” She was so fucking righteous, standing there with her hand on her hip and disapproval shining in her eyes.

“What happened?” Vic crouched down, placing her hands on my thighs.

“You can suck it if you want,” my cloudy gaze dropped to my crotch and I palmed myself through my shorts, “although I’m not sure I can get it up right now.”

“I’ll pretend you didn’t say that.” She gave me a disapproving smirk. “Come on.” Vic grabbed my hand and started pulling. “You’ve had enough.”

“Nah, I can still feel. I’ll know I’ve had enough when I can’t feel anything anymore.”

“Zach,” she gritted out, “work with me here.”

I managed to clamber to my feet, letting her take most of my weight.

“Shower, then bed.” Vic marched me into my bedroom and shoved me toward the bathroom. “Think you can manage not to kill yourself?”

“Maybe you should come with me. Just to make sure.” I grinned at her, but she rolled her eyes.

“Go, you’re a mess.”

I stumbled into my bathroom and began tearing off my clothes. The room was spinning, the vodka sloshing around in my stomach. Tomorrow was going to be hell unless I soaked up some of the liquor.

“Hey, Vic,” I called, poking my head around the door.

“Yeah?”

“What are you doing?” I could just make out her standing over my dresser, her hands on the top-drawer handles.

“Nothing.” She smiled, pushing it shut. “Just cleaning up the place.”

“Right.” She really was like my mom at times. No wonder Declan fell in love with her. “I’m gonna need some carbs.”

“I’ll see what I can do.” Vic went to leave my room, but I called after her.

“And thanks, yeah, for everything.”

She gave me a small nod. I probably should have apologized for being