Текст книги "Thief"

Автор книги: Chantal Fernando

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Chapter Eighteen

“Where were you?” Dash asks, glancing down at his watch. “Everyone’s expecting us in twenty minutes.”

“Sorry,” I say, wincing. “I was at the shopping centre and lost track of the time. Give me a second and I’ll be ready.”

I put my bags down and rush into my room to get changed. I come out a few minutes later and grab my bag. “Okay, let’s go.”

Tonight, there’s a charity event at Knox Tavern. They are charging an entry fee to the bar, and all the proceeds are going to charity. It’s a karaoke night, plus they are doing raffles and other things to raise money. Summer said we have to be there to help out, so everyone is coming along.

“You were shopping?” Dash asks, sounding curious as we make our way out the front door. “What did you buy?”

“Umm, some clothes,” I reply as I get in the car. “And a new pair of shoes.” I pull out my lipstick and apply some in the mirror in front of me, trying to make myself look a little dressier. “I’m really sorry I ran late, babe. I’ll tell Summer it was all my fault.”

“It’s fine, Vi,” Dash says, taking my upper arm and pulling me toward him. “But you haven’t kissed me yet.”

I bring my lips to his and kiss him deeply, only pulling back when things start to get a little too heated.

“Why do we always do this?” I ask out loud. “Whenever we have to be somewhere?”

Dash just chuckles. “I always want you, Vi, but I can wait until after the event.”

“Well, thank goodness for that,” I say in a dry tone, reaching over and placing my hand on his upper thigh. “Are you going to sing tonight?”

“No,” he says straight away. “I’m driving and not drinking, and there’s no way I’ll be getting up there sober.”

“I can drive if you want to drink,” I offer, not minding one bit. “I’m sure the guys will want you to have a drink with them.”

“No, baby,” he tells me. “I’ll drive us home. You can enjoy yourself and have a drink to relax. I know you’ve had a stressful week at work.”

I had. I’d been working overtime and taking on more and more clients. Having a few drinks isn’t going to solve any of my issues, but it might be good to relax and forget about work and my to-do list for one night.

“Okay, if you’re sure. We could always catch a taxi home and get the car tomorrow morning.”

He nods. “True, I guess we’ll just see how we go then.”

The bar is completely packed when we get there, which is definitely a good thing tonight. We pay the entry and then look around for any familiar faces. We find everyone at a table in the corner, having a drink and a bite to eat. Summer and Reid are missing, but Xander, Trillian, Ryan, Taiya, and Clara are there. I look to the bar and see Tag working, along with a few other bartenders I’ve never seen before. We all say our hellos, the music not too loud, which allows us to talk without raising our voices.

“What do you want to drink?” Dash asks in my ear, sending shivers down my spine.

“Gin and tonic please,” I say, using my go-to drink. Sometimes I like to change it up, but I think I’ll stick to my signature drink tonight.

“Okay, I’ll be back,” he says, pulling out a chair for me to sit next to Ryan.

I sit down just as Ryan says, “He’s such a gentleman, our Dash.”

I grin and reply with, “He is, isn’t he? How come you aren’t working, but everyone else is?”

“I’ll swap with Reid and Summer in an hour or so,” he explains. “So they can enjoy a little bit too. We hired extra staff for the night, so it will be fine.”

“If there’s anything I can do to help, let me know.”

“I think Summer wants you to handle one of the raffles,” he says, pushing his blond hair out of his eyes. “I’m sure she will find you when she needs you.”

“Okay, no problem,” I say, just as Dash returns with my drink.

He places it on the table and says, “Reid wants help out the back, so I’ll be right back.” He kisses my cheek and looks to Ryan. “Keep an eye on her.”

Ryan nods, but as Dash leaves, he glances around. “What could possibly happen to you here?”

I shrug my shoulders and take a sip of my drink. “Who knows?”

“You better stay right here, Vi,” he says, pointing to the table. “He will murder me otherwise.”

“As if you’re not protective like that,” Taiya says, amusement flashing in her eyes. “You only realise how ridiculous it is when another man is doing it, but you do the exact same thing.”

“I’m not that bad,” Ryan huffs, lifting his chin.

“Last week, you threatened a guy who accidentally bumped into me,” she says in a dry tone. “He was trying to apologise, but you kept telling him to get his sleazy eyes off your wife.”

“He was looking at your tits!” Ryan growls, shaking his head. “I can’t stand there and let some guy ogle you.”

Taiya ignores Ryan and looks at me. “He wasn’t being sleazy. Ryan was just overreacting.”

“Xander’s the same,” Trillian says, rolling her eyes at him. “I think it’s all of them.”

I look at Clara. “Tag?”

“The same,” she replies. “Why do you think I’m here, even though he’s working? He refused to leave me alone at the house.”

We all share a laugh at that.

“Apparently, they’re all as bad as each other,” I say, biting on my straw.

“Bunch of alpha males,” Taiya adds, but shoots Ryan a look that says she doesn’t mind one bit.

“We all chose beautiful women,” Xander says, kissing Trillian on the mouth. “I’m not possessive; I’m territorial. There’s a difference. I will protect what’s mine, because I never want to lose her, but I don’t try and control her or stop her from doing whatever she wants. I just make sure I’m there by her side to keep her out of trouble.”

My eyes widen. “Fuck, that was sweet.”

“Totally,” Clara adds, looking impressed.

Trillian and Xander start making out until Ryan tells them to get a room.

Dash returns and we listen to a few people sing, most of them trying but not really succeeding.

When I hear Ryan mutter, “Fuck,” looking behind me, I turn around to see what he’s looking at. When I see Vanessa standing there, a good-looking man by her side, the same word leaves my mouth. Not because Vanessa is there, which is definitely a fuck moment, but because I know the man by her side.

The bitch had shown up here with none other than my ex-boyfriend.

*****

“Maybe if we ignore her, she’ll just disappear,” Ryan suggests, probably trying to calm Dash down, because he looks kind of pissed.

“Why the fuck would she show up here? She has no fucking shame,” he says, scanning my expression, probably to see if I’m upset.

“Actually, Dash,” I say, cringing.

“What?” he asks, and suddenly I have the whole table’s attention.

I look over at Vanessa and Riley and notice him staring at me. Well, fuck. Is he in on this with her? Is it a coincidence? I don’t think so. Riley and I didn’t exactly end on the best terms, and I have a feeling Vanessa is going to use him to start some shit.

“The man Vanessa is with is my ex-boyfriend,” I blurt out, rushing the words. “So I have a feeling she’s just here to stir the pot, so to speak.”

Dash’s eyes dart straight to Riley, and his scowl deepens. “You dated that fucker?”

I nod with my mouth set in a grimace. “Yeah, I guess you can say that.”

“Vi,” Dash growls, eyes boring into me. “Tell me, now. And don’t skip on any fucking details.”

“I was engaged to him about three years ago,” I say, noticing the ‘well, fuck,’ expressions on everyone’s faces. Well, they all might as well hear it. They’re going to find out anyway, one way or another.

“You were engaged?” Dash asks, eye twitching and his jaw tighter than I’ve ever seen it.

“Yes, I was, and I don’t like to talk about it, because it wasn’t a good time in my life, and apparently Vanessa must’ve somehow found this out, because there’s no other reason he’d be here. Things didn’t end well with us.”

That was the understatement of the year.

“How did it end?”” Dash asks, looking at Riley likes he wants to kill him.

“With me running away from our wedding while he waited for me down the aisle,” I say, cringing more and more with each word.

“Cutthroat,” I hear Xander mutter, while Ryan whistles. “That’s rough, Vi.”

I rush to explain. “I wasn’t ready to get married, especially not to him. He was a total douche, and I was young and stupid.”

“I don’t care what you did to him,” Dash says, muscle ticking in his jaw. “I’m just happy you didn’t walk down that aisle.”

I exhale in relief.

Trust Dash to see it that way.

Then he says, “But we will be talking about this later.” He pauses. “In detail.”

I gulp.

Chapter Nineteen

“I guess I can’t deny the fact you slept with someone else now, when the bastard is staring me in the face,” Dash says, drinking from his bottle of water. “What the fuck do they want anyway? Let them be together, as if we give a fuck. They need to just leave us the fuck alone.”

“So much anger,” Ryan says, sighing. “Do you want me to kick them out? You do realise this is our bar, right? We don’t have to put up with them standing there looking smug. Smug over what, I have no fucking clue, because they look like total dickheads right now.”

“No, don’t kick them out,” I say, not looking in their direction. “Then they will know they got to us. They want a reaction; that’s why they’re here. We need to just ignore them.”

“I feel like I’m in high school again,” Dash groans then gives me a look. “No, actually we never had to deal with shit like this in school either.”

“What about the Jackie thing?” I point out unhelpfully.

“Who the fuck is Jackie?” Dash asks, making me smile. He doesn’t even remember her. I like that more than I should, considering she was just some girl he kissed in high school.

“No one,” I mutter, laying my head on his shoulder. “No one at all.”

“Baby, we have bigger problems right now,” he says, kissing my forehead. “Because if that man even looks at you in the wrong way, I’m going to get arrested for beating the shit out of him.” He groans. “At a charity event, no less.”

That did sound pretty bad, I have to admit.

“Just let him be. He’s not even worth it,” I say, taking Dash’s hand in mine. “I’m so happy we decided it was me who gets to drink tonight. I see some shots coming my way.”

Dash chuckles, and I put my finger on his right dimple. If we ever have children, I hope they get his dimples. And his eyes.

Okay, I hope they just look exactly like him.

Summer comes to collect me to draw the raffle and to hand out the prizes. After I’m finished, I head to the bathroom, where I bump into Vanessa. I knew this would happen eventually, but I really couldn’t control my bladder any longer.

“He’s going to get sick of you,” she says, her pinched face scowling. “He will do to you exactly what he did to me.”

I blink. “You need a hobby or something to keep you occupied.”

She huffs, “Make a joke of it all you want, but you know it’s the truth. By the way, Riley is amazing in bed, isn’t he?”

I shrug and consider her words. “He’s all right. Nowhere near as amazing as Dash. Riley isn’t very good at going down on a girl. It’s almost like he thinks he’s eating corn on a cob, you know? Just kind of chews at your box. It’s pretty fucking painful actually.” I put my hand on her shoulder. “Good luck with that, though. Enjoy my sloppy seconds.”

“Enjoy mine,” she snarls back.

I smirk and look her dead in the eye. “Dash was mine long before he was yours, or anyone else’s, and he’ll be mine long after.”

I turn my back on her and walk back to the table, back to Dash.

This bitch isn’t going to rain on my parade.

When I see Riley at the bar, I change my course and walk right up to him. “What are you doing here?”

“On a date,” he says, chewing on an ice cube. “With a beautiful woman. Nice to see you, Viola. Run away from any grooms lately?”

“No,” I say in a dry tone. “That was just for you, Riley. Now, I repeat, what the fuck are you doing here?”

“Vanessa found me, said you’d ruined her life. I said you’d ruined mine too, so we kind of bonded over that.”

“I ruined her life? Dramatic much?” I groan, looking around to see how long I had until Dash saw me. “You know one of the owners of this bar is an MMA fighter, right? Plus, Dash could kick your ass any day, and this is a charity event, so we don’t need any drama. Couldn’t you pick a normal Saturday night to be a nosy bastard?”

His blue eyes narrow and he opens his mouth to reply, but then I’m suddenly pulled back against a hard chest, and I know my time to tell Riley to leave me alone has come to an end.

“Vi,” Dash growls, staring at Riley over my head. “Summer wants you.”

Oh, hell no, I’m not about to leave these two alone.

“Does she really?” I ask, suspicion lacing my tone. “Are you sure?”

“Vi.”

“All right,” I say, reluctantly stepping away and looking for Summer. I find her sitting at the table next to Reid, her eyes already on me as I walk toward her.

“This is better than a soap opera,” she says, patting the seat next to her. “Tell me everything I’ve missed.”

“I’m sure the peanut gallery has filled you in,” I reply, glancing toward Ryan, who just winks at me. I sit down and look at Dash, who is now talking to Vanessa and Riley.

This can’t end well.

“What did you want me for, Summer?” I ask her, eyes on Dash.

“Huh?” she says, giving me all the answer I need.

I return to his side in time to hear Riley say the one thing I didn’t want him to say. “Do you know why she bailed on our wedding? She said it was because she’d never love anyone the way she loved Max. If he was here today, it wouldn’t be you she’d be with. She will never love anyone more than him.”

Bullet one: aimed and fired.

Dash’s expression doesn’t change, but I know that bullet reached its mark.

“You left me for someone who can never even love you fully,” Vanessa adds, scoffing. “And does she know about all the times we spent alone since you’ve been with her? At your work, in your car? Or did you hide all that from her?”

I look at Dash to see if he denies it, but he says nothing.

Riley smirks in my direction.

Bullet two: aimed and fired.

Bullseye.

He spent time with her alone and didn’t mention it to me?

She was at his work?

“You’re going to be miserable for the rest of your life, Vanessa,” I say then look to Riley. “It was years ago, Riley. Get over it. And don’t act like you didn’t fuck the stripper at your bachelor party.”

I head for the door, because I’ve had enough drama for one night, thank you very much. Remembering Dash drove and I’ve had a few drinks, I walk across the road to the cab bay and get into the first one. I give the driver my address and watch Dash in the car park, looking around for me.

I hate that Vanessa and Riley won in the end, but they did.

Because now Dash and I have some talking to do.

*****

“You don’t just leave, Vi, so I’m left wondering where the hell you are!” he yells, pacing up and down my room.

“I just wanted to get out of there,” I say, watching him from my bed. “I sent you a message, and Summer too.”

He stops and looks at me. “Did you really say that about Max?”

I nod. “I did, but…”

But not in that context, and not in those exact words. Riley obviously twisted it, when that wasn’t what I’d meant at all.

“Did you really see Vanessa alone and not tell me about it?” I fire back at him, daring him to deny it.

“A few times, yes,” he admits, wincing. “She would show up at places, Vi. She came to my work; she came to my gym…it was all her. Only once I told her I’d meet her, because she was crying on the phone and I felt guilty as fuck that I don’t even give a shit about her!”

“You should have told me, Dash. Why didn’t you tell me about it? It makes it seem like you were hiding something,” I try to explain.

“Really, coming from Miss ‘I Was Engaged’? That’s rich. It’s always nice to hear your woman was almost married at the same time as everyone else in my life,” he growls, crossing his arms over his chest. “Real great communication skills we have here.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. It’s not exactly my proudest moment,” I admit, hugging myself. “I don’t know what to say.”

“Let’s just go to bed,” he says, sliding in and facing away from me.

“I don’t want to go to bed angry,” I say into the darkness after he turns the side lamp off.

“Go to sleep,” he says, voice emotionless. “We’ll talk in the morning.”

I don’t sleep.

And we don’t talk in the morning.

Chapter Twenty

Dash

I wake up before Vi, feeling like a total dickhead over our fight. I was just so angry, and to be honest, a little worried that the things Riley said were true. If Max were here, would she have realised she loved him in a different way? Were they meant to be together? It shouldn’t matter, because he’s not here, but I want to be the one she chooses over anyone else, just like she is for me. I head out to buy some apology flowers and some breakfast for her, wanting to make things right.

Fuck Vanessa and Riley and their games.

I walk through the shopping centre, heading for the florist, when I see the store Vi always shops at. I casually glance in, thinking that maybe I could buy her a gift too, when I see him.

I freeze.

What the actual fuck?

The guy at the counter could be Max’s twin.

I stand there in shock for a few moments, taking in this man who looks so much like the friend I lost all that time ago.

It brings back old hurt, old memories, as I take in his every visible feature.

And then it all hits me.

The reason why she comes here multiple fucking times a week, just to be around a man who looks like her deceased best friend. She’s obsessed with him, and she always has been. Instead of entering the florist, I leave, my heart in my throat.

I will never be everything to her that she is to me.

Never.

*****

Viola

Dash doesn’t come back to my house, and his silence speaks louder than any action could.

He’s done with us, or he wants some time.

Either way, it hurts so damn much.

I spend the first day crying into a tub of ice-cream, the second cursing the day Vanessa and Riley were born. The third day, I cave and ring his phone, but it goes straight to voicemail.

Yeah, he doesn’t want to talk to me.

Dash stole my heart with one look into my eyes that day in the school hallways, and now, he is handing it back.

Without a word.

He’s just cutting me out.

Going ghost on me.

I couldn’t believe it.

I ring Sierra, who tells me Dash is fine, that he just needs some time.

Yeah, I had to hear it from his sister.

He’s right; our communication skills do need a shitload of work.

I bury myself in work as a distraction.

I keep my phone on me twenty-four seven.

After a week, still nothing.

My hope turns to bitterness.

He doesn’t want me? I’m not worth an explanation? After the amount of attention he gave Vanessa when he hurt her? She got all that, and I get nothing? Not even a courtesy phone call?

I’m not worth that to him?

Fine.

I was fine before him, and I’ll be fine without him now.

He may have stolen my heart like a thief in the night, but only I can reclaim it.

And I will.

*****

Our weekend getaway is in one week.

I don’t know what to do, because we already paid for everything. Should I just go alone? What if he doesn’t show up? What if he does?

When did everything get so complicated?

Summer, Taiya, Clara, and Trillian come to visit me, bringing wine and food.

I call Dash again.

Nothing.

*****

Dash

It’s two days before I’m meant to go away with Vi.

I sit at the bar, drinking scotch and listening to the jukebox as everyone talks around me.

“You’re an idiot,” Summer says, looking at me with a scowl on her face. “And a coward. You don’t just leave a woman with no explanation, Dash. I can’t believe you’d do something like this to the woman who is meant to be the love of your life!”

“If I wanted a lecture, Sum, I’d go visit my sisters,” I say, pretending that her low opinion of me doesn’t hurt. “She’ll never love me entirely. I’m going to be the next groom left at the aisle, because I’m not Max.”

Because no one is.

Summer rests her hand on my forearm. “Don’t go by other people’s words, Dash. Go by her actions. I didn’t know her before, but I do know from the moment she laid her eyes on you again, she’s looked at you the same way I look at Reid, like you hold the answer to everything. You’re my family, Dash, and I love you. I wouldn’t want you to be with a woman I didn’t think could make you happy, but lately, you’ve been the happiest I’ve ever seen you until now. Don’t lose that over some shit.” I swallow a mouthful of my drink and look Summer in the eye. “Do you love her?”

I nod. “Yeah, I do.”

“Then the rest is just details. You’re going to lose her, Dash. You need to go and talk to her, now.”

“I can’t compete with a dead person,” I say, voicing the words I’ve been thinking for so long, but have been too afraid to say out loud.

“Then don’t,” Summer says. “Let her have her memories. She’s yours. You have her. Imagine how badly Max would want what you have, and you’re throwing it away.”

Fuck.

Summer is right.

What the hell am I doing?

Feeling sorry for myself?

I stand up.

Summer grins.

I need to go and win my woman back.

*****

I arrive at her house the morning of our flight, bags packed and flowers in my hand. I use my key and head straight to her room. She’s awake, sitting in bed reading. She puts the book down as she sees me, her expression unchanging.

“I’m sorry,” I say, looking her in the eye. “I fucked up. I went to the shops that morning to get you flowers to apologise, and I saw Dan.”

She winces when she hears the name.

“After everything Riley said, I thought maybe I would always be second, that you’re only with me by default, and it fucking hurt, Vi, because in any lifetime, no matter where I was, I’d always choose you over anyone.”

I take a deep breath, and then continue, “I love you. More than anything.” I step closer to her and set the flowers down on her side table. “Will you come away with me still? Maybe we could spend the weekend talking, and I could apologise for being a dick some more?”

I take her hand and kiss her palm, looking at Max’s name on her wrist.

“And you’re getting my name tattooed on you too, right on your forehead. You hear me?”

Her lips twitch at that.

“I’m so angry at you, Dash,” she says, swallowing. “But I’m sorry too. I should have told you about everything. I shouldn’t have been going to see Dan and pretending he was Max. I should have let Max go, and I’m going to work on that. I’m going to visit his gravestone for the first time and say goodbye.” I pause. “I love you too, you know. I always have. Riley was wrong. I didn’t leave him there because of Max. I did it because he was the wrong guy for me. Yes, I wished Max would have been at my wedding, and that’s what I’d mentioned to him.”

“You love me?”

“I always have, Dash,” I say, resting my forehead against his. “Always will.”

“Are we going to go on this trip?”

I nod. “Yeah, I think we are.”

He kisses me.