All I See Is You

16. High Road

Chapter sixteen

High Road

Hux

E verything.

She’d seen everything. She knew about my past. The accident.

Fuck.

I wrenched my hand from hers. Not out of anger, but because I trembled so fucking badly there was no way she couldn’t feel it. Why hadn’t she said anything about the accident? I mean, really we hadn’t had much time to talk about it, to be honest, so maybe that’s why.

Of course, she’d looked me up. I didn’t blame her, I’d have probably done the same thing if I could see. I should have deleted my socials a long time ago. Fuck .

I unscrewed the cap to the bottle of whiskey and didn’t even bother being polite as I pressed it to my lips. I’d more than likely spill more of it all over me while trying to get it in the tumbler, so, fuck it.

The whiskey burned a fiery path down my throat before settling in the pit of my stomach. Carl might have shit taste in women but he sure as hell had good taste in whiskey. I chugged down far more than was socially acceptable, but I needed the liquid courage if I was going to make it through the rest of this dinner.

Quinn made a little sound—so small and imperceptible I doubt she even realized she’d made it. It was like a mixture of a squeak and a gasp. I wondered what she thought. I’m sure she suspected I was mad at her.

Trying to calm the racing of my heart with a slow exhale, I reached for her hand once more. Her answering squeeze back eased some of the worry in my chest. As much as I hated the thought of talking to her about my past, of dredging up all the ghosts and skeletons in my closet, I’d tell her everything. Not that she didn’t already know the majority of it. But it was always better to come straight from the source.

I fixed my attention Georgette’s way and managed to get out, “Yes, ma’am. I used to ride bulls.”

“Were you any good?”

Another sip of whiskey. Another scorching path trailing down my throat. At least it was kicking in. My limbs felt a bit lighter, my usual aches, pains, and hurts dulling to mere whispers. “I mean, I certainly wasn’t one of the greats, but I was pretty big in my prime. Had two World Champion titles under my belt.”

“Wow. And you chose a life as a ranch hand over fame?”

A muscle in my jaw feathered as I forced a smile to my lips. What a fucking ignorant bitch. I wondered if she even realized what she was saying or if she was just that stupid. I could honestly see it going either way. “I didn’t choose anything. I had to give it up when I got hurt.”

“Why?”

I paused at that. Was she serious? Maybe she was actually that stupid. “I mean…It’s pretty obvious, ma’am.”

Quinn quaked beside me, her body trembling so hard she nearly vibrated in her seat. She gripped my hand with both of hers.

“Oh, yeah, right,” Georgette’s words were slightly slurred as she continued, but it didn’t give her an excuse for what came out of her mouth next. “But I mean, it’s not like you got hurt- hurt. You’re just blind.”

Quinn’s sharp intake of breath at my side made me tense. “Georgette.” The word was little more than a vicious growl of warning. I honestly didn’t think Quinn had that kind of anger in her. Didn’t think she was capable of it.

And while I hated people feeling the need to defend or protect me, not gonna lie, it made a flicker of desire spark in me at her protectiveness. But in the end, the anger thrumming to life in my veins drowned out whatever need I felt for Quinn.

Maybe I shouldn’t have drank so much. Whiskey was great when I was in a good mood, but things had the potential to go south real quick when my mood turned dark.

A bitter chuckle escaped me, my tone dripping with sarcasm as I replied, “Wow, you know, I never thought of it that way before.”

“Maybe we should uh, change the subject, eh?” Carl’s tone rang with false cheerfulness. But it seemed his fire-breathing bitch of a fiancé didn’t like being told what to do.

“There has to be a cure, isn’t there? I mean, I know this holistic doctor that works wonders. I could get you into contact with him.” Her words were sincere and ignorant, and it made my blood boil all the hotter. God she really was that stupid.

I rolled my eyes, not even trying to hide my laughter. This woman had to be fucking with me. Well, two could play that game. Taking another swig from the bottle, I said, “Well, I’m afraid to tell you, Miss Georgette, but I’ve tried all the crystals and essential oils I can get my hands on and it still ain’t helped.”

A wave of silence settled over us, and for a long moment I could only hear the cicadas in the trees and the water from the pool trickling on the wind. Quinn’s tense grip on mine was like a life preserver in the storm of rage I felt growing more and more violently in my chest.

“Well, you know what they say—” Georgette’s words were nice enough on the surface, but they dripped with sugary-sweet venom. “Everything happens for a reason. God must not have wanted you to be a bull rider. It just wasn’t your purpose.”

Rage pummeled into me, so white-hot and intense that the black in my nonexistent vision all but turned red. I nearly threw the damn bottle of whiskey to the ground. But that would be a waste of alcohol. And this dumb bitch didn’t deserve my anger.

I shot up from the couch, releasing Quinn’s hand. “Thank you for the whiskey, Mr. Decker, sir.” I turned toward Quinn. “Thank you for inviting me, but I’m gonna go.” I didn’t bother to wait for a response or even acknowledge Georgette. She could rot in hell.

I tried to remember the path Quinn had led me on out here and took a long swig before I made my way toward the house, the whiskey not even burning anymore as it went down.

I was in dangerous territory now.

Oh well, fuck it .