Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 82930 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 415(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82930 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 415(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Christmas had already come and gone, and they were heading into spring, but she knew the winds could get a little fierce. Al refused to weight down his sign and would often send her and Roslie to fetch it. It took her a few attempts to realize he was doing it to see the wind lift their skirts. From that day onward, she always wore a tiny pair of shorts beneath her skirts. It saved her the embarrassment of the wind.
She hoped Dirty would take the hint, but alas, no. He followed her outside, and she was not interested in talking with him.
“How are you?” he asked.
She was polite to him in front of Burto, but now that they were alone, she was not going to give him the time of day. With the sign weighted down, she stood up, and without looking in his direction, she made her way toward the main door.
Dirty stepped right in front of her path.
With hands on hips, she looked at him and waited. Actually, she set her eyes on the collar of his jacket, which was a lot easier. She didn’t want to be one of those women that caused a scene or embarrassed herself over a man.
The truth was, she just wanted to get over him. At this point, it had been a few months since they had been together, and he’d crushed her heart.
“You’re in my way,” she said.
“Damn it, Petal, come on. I’m here and I’m trying to help. Trying to see if you’re okay.”
“Why?” Petal asked, finally lifting her head. “Because you know at the end of the day, you don’t have to care? Let’s face it, the baby is gone, and you’re completely in the clear, right?”
“That’s not—”
“What? The truth? Remember, you asked me if it was even yours, and if I recall, you said you didn’t ‘sign up for this.’ The only reason you and I ever had anything was because Colt asked you to, otherwise you and me wouldn’t have happened.”
He gripped the back of his neck.
This time, she forced herself to look at him. This man broke her heart, shattered her whole world, and she refused to allow it to happen again. She learned her lesson and had the scars to prove it, along with the pain. She didn’t know what had hurt worse—the fact he’d even suggested she cheated, or that he’d only been with her because his buddy Colt asked him to. He certainly fooled her.
“Fuck, Petal, it wasn’t like that.”
“Stop, okay? Stop with all the bullshit. I don’t need it. Colt got what he wanted. You got what you wanted. There are no consequences, so we’re done. Stop acting like we’re anything more.” She moved around him, and he didn’t reach for her.
Petal was relieved as she stepped into the diner. They were only serving breakfast, and there were so many customers. Her hands shook, and she held a finger up to Rosalie who beckoned her to help.
She quickly rushed toward the back where her locker was, and she grabbed an apron. Wrapping it around her waist, she reached out to the wall, took a large breath, then another. Tears were so close to the surface, they threatened to spill over. She needed to get her shit together. This is not what she wanted. She was not going to be at the mercy of a man who treated her the way Dirty did. She was better than this.
He would not see her tears.
He didn’t deserve her tears.
Dirty didn’t deserve any more from her than he had already gotten. She was not going to be lured to him again. For her own peace of mind, she had to keep as far away from him and the MC as possible.
She would be there for Roslie, but that was it.
****
Dirty didn’t stop her.
He knew when it came to Petal, he fucked up big time. Colt asked him to distract her, even if it meant fucking her, which he did. The only problem was, he’d not done it on Colt’s orders. He wanted to. There was something about the fiery woman that made him unable to get her out of his mind.
She was a force to be reckoned with. Her devotion to her friend reminded him of how he was with the club brothers. They were solid together. He knew without a shadow of a doubt, the guys had his back.
Petal had Rosalie’s back, just as Rosalie had Petal’s back. Their little duet was like the club. He also knew Petal’s devotion to her family. She was loyal to them, even though they didn’t fucking deserve it. Her parents were super in love, so much in love that they forgot the responsibilities of raising their family.
Petal was often forgotten. She used a lot of her money to help her parents. He was all for helping family out, but there came a time when they had to walk their own path, as far as he was concerned. Her family had already taken too much from her.