Tales of Darkness & Sin - Pepper Winters Page 0,17
I’ll kill you.”
The metal cracking against my skull is the last thing I feel before everything goes dark.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Thursday
Violet
“Oh my god. Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god.”
Did that really happen last night, or am I going crazy?
I slap my hands over my face to smother the stupid grin I woke up with this morning. I shouldn’t be grinning. Not when Zander just abruptly walked out on me and I’m still trying to make sense of what happened. Does he regret it? Is that why he left? Or is there a more reasonable explanation… like he had to work early this morning?
Tossing the blankets aside, I indulge this insanity even further by padding across the floor to my window. It just so happens that my bedroom window faces his, and I have a direct view of his driveway from here. I know because I peeked out through the blinds last night. But when I try to do the same this morning, I suck in a sharp breath.
Zander isn’t at work.
He’s in his driveway, washing his truck, and he’s completely shirtless. And I’m not imagining that he’s packed on a shit load of muscle. I can see every hard line on his body from here. The sunlight glinting off his tatted frame makes him look every bit the god he truly is. I’m still busy ogling him when he turns his head to the side and catches me. Or at least, I think he does.
I jump back with a screech and pace my floor. Did he see me through the blinds? Is that even possible?
Oh my God, I’m acting like I’m still a hormonal teenager. I need to get a grip. I need to be an adult and bite the bullet and just go over to his house and discuss this like a rational person. That’s my intention when I spend the next hour showering and shaving my legs and flat-ironing my hair and agonizing over the perfect perfume.
As it turns out, it’s all for nothing. Because when I finally do work up the courage to go talk to him, I stop short in my driveway. His truck is gone, and so is he.
I sigh and shake my head. This is ridiculous. I’m not this girl. I don’t chase after guys. They’ve always chased after me. It’s always been so easy because I never really had to think about it. Opportunities presented themself, like Scott, and I took them. But Zander is different. Zander is the secret crush I harbored all throughout high school, even while I dated Scott. I was too blinded by my reputation to see what was right in front of me. He’s the one I should have been with all along.
It’s a sobering thought, and it hits me like a slap across the face. So many of my choices have led me to the life I always thought I wanted. The glam and the staged moments of perfection. But I never knew what perfection was until I felt Zander’s lips on mine last night. His hard body caging me in, protecting me, worshipping me.
I want that again, and I don’t care if it means I have to make a fool of myself. As soon as I get a chance, I’m going to lay it all out for Zander. I’m not letting him get away this time.
“Violet?”
I blink out at the street, startled back to reality when I see Scott has pulled up to the curb. He parks his truck like an asshole and squints at me through the open window before jumping out.
“What are you doing here?” I demand. “I told you to leave me alone.”
“Violet, come on… don’t be like that.”
“Be like what?” I glare as he takes a couple steps toward me as if he still has that right.
“A bitch,” he spits out. “You’ve blocked my number. You won’t answer my emails. I’ve been patient, but I’m done fucking waiting. You and I need to talk.”
“We have nothing left to talk about.” I point a trembling hand at his truck. “Now please leave before I call the cops.”
“The cops?” He chuckles as if I’d never dare to do that.
“Yes.” I stand my ground and fish my phone out of my pocket. But before I can get the keypad up, Scott is right in front of me, wrapping his fingers around my arm in a punishing grip.
“Put that phone back now,” he sneers.
“Scott, what the hell are you doing?” I try to push him