lose that contact with her. Her body heat radiating against me causes my heart, which has been like a stone for far too long, to feel more. The stone heart is my protector, never letting anyone close enough to rip it away from me.
“So, tell me, do you enjoy it still, riding, that is?”
“I’ve never been asked that question. My focus has always been to try and get ahead of all the other riders and stay on the bike. Now that I think about it like that, yeah, I still enjoy it. I guess if I didn’t, I wouldn’t be where I am.”
“Fair enough. Have you ever been married or had a long-term girlfriend?”
I swallow. “Uh, yeah. I’ve had a long-term relationship before. Obviously, it didn’t go so well.”
“Oh, really? What happened?”
“She was more interested in the money and fame than me. I had come off my bike in a crash and had hurt myself pretty badly, and she didn’t stick around for long, thinking I’d not recover, but I was determined to prove her wrong. Then, when I made my comeback, she was right away looking to fix things.”
“Wow! What a bitch.”
“Yeah. So, why are you not really wanting to go to your reunion?”
Her shoulders deflate under my touch.
“Would you like to go inside?”
She nods.
For someone I’ve just met, I’m happy enough to share my heartbreak, which I normally wouldn’t do. Normally, I’d bed and leave. That’s what my sex life has come to lately. Deacon’s prank could possibly work out differently for me. Maybe instead of getting even, I will have to send him a thank-you card.
We step inside, and she takes a seat on a cream couch. I follow suit. She takes a deep breath then says, “There’s one person I don’t want to see. Plus, I hated school. I was the nerd. Teacher’s pet. Whatever, you name it.”
A vision of her standing in front of me in her office comes back full force. Now, all I need is her in a schoolgirl uniform and those glasses. Damn. That thought makes heat stir in my stomach. “Now that’s something I think I’d like to see,” I tease.
She backhands my chest. “Shut up!”
“What? A man is allowed to dream, isn’t he?”
“Yeah, you keep on dreaming.” Dylan finishes her wine and places the glass on the pearly white coffee table in front of us. I gather she likes white with splashes of color, judging by the tone of the room.
“So, who is this guy?”
She shuffles slightly in her seat and then finally says, “He’s the man I was going to marry.”
13
Dylan
Cole’s eyes go wide. His mouth opens then closes. Obviously, he doesn’t know how to react to that statement. He’s the first person I’ve admitted it to. Scarlett and Vivian are the only ones who know about Luke.
“You did say ‘marry him’? I did hear that right?” I nod. “Wow! Okay, so why didn’t you marry him?”
“It’s kind of a long story,” I admit, not really wanting to delve into my past and stir up the dust that has settled there.
Cole hops up and pulls off his jacket, revealing those works of art on his arms. For a split second, I thought he was going to hightail it out of my apartment. The panic that rose a second ago dies when he takes his seat beside me again.
“Thought you were heading out.” I laugh.
“Nope, getting comfortable to hear your story about this Luke.”
The way Luke’s name drips off his tongue, it’s as if it tastes bitter to him.
“I’m not really one to share my story with strangers.”
“Hmm…we’ve kissed, and right now, aren’t I your boyfriend? You know, technically speaking.” His large shoulders shrug.
“Technically speaking, that ended when we left my mother’s.”
“You mean you’re ending our relationship?” He almost sounds shocked, but the grin tells me otherwise.
I shake my head. “Fine! Luke and I had been together since junior year, and we stayed together through high school. Then, the moment we hit college, things changed and not for the better. We were both studying medicine. Then, one day, he asked me to marry him, and I said yes because he asked in front of everyone, but when everything settled in, I told him I couldn’t marry him. He wasn’t happy with my answer and spread rumors about me…about how I was an easy lay. Just real degrading th-things.” My voice cracks as memories of those laughing and mocking people in the hallways still haunt me. I pause, attempting to swallow