Torn - Part Two (The Torn Series) (3 page)

“Yeah,” he grunted, one eye raised in mild surprise. I hadn’t gone out at all since the Riley debacle but, ready or not, it was time. Our time in the gym was helping but maybe I could fuck the rest of my tension away.

It didn’t seem as appealing as it once had but maybe a drink or five would change my mind.

○●○●○●○●○

Half a beer in and my mind hadn’t changed one bit. Surly, Lockett, and a few other guys from the gym had decided to converge at a little dive bar downtown - Angry Mule wouldn’t have been worth the trip into Manhattan if it wasn’t known for being a destination for trashy girls. I’d witnessed more nip slips in that bar than any sleazy paparazzi photographer had ever seen.

But I couldn’t work up any enthusiasm that night.

Surly scowled and Lockett rolled his eyes when they saw me. “What’s wrong, Mal? There’s enough tits to go around, why don’t you talk to someone?” Lockett said with a lopsided grin.

Does he have to be so damn crude?
Not that I was any better when I was in a different state of mind. Hell I could probably out-crude the lot of them.

But I just raised my glass at them both. “Luck to you two,” I said, “I’m not feeling it.” Normally it would be Lockett and I picking up girls while Surly brooded over a beer and watched from the bar. We were the man-whores and Surly was the “classier type,” as he liked to define himself. So for him to encourage me to get off my seat and talk up some girls was really saying something.

“You should just call her,” he said after Lockett wandered off once more.

“Call who?” I asked.

“Stupid. Call Riley. I bet she’d come meet you here.”

I knew she would. I was starting to wonder if I needed to cut her out completely to get over her. Quit helping out the band, quit hanging out with the guys when his sister Jen was around, do more to avoid even risking running into her.

“No way in hell,” I said, shaking my head, then, “I’ll see her on Friday, anyway. The band is playing.”

“Good.” He slapped my shoulder. “Jen says the whole thing was an accident. Maybe if you two clear the air you can get your shit back together.”

“I don’t want to ‘clear the air,’ I just want her out of my head.”

Surly sighed. “So fuck her, then. Maybe break-up sex is what you need.”

“Is that what you did with Dee?” He sure was full of advice for someone with just as messy a love life as mine. I hadn’t seen his blond friend in nearly two months. She was
hot
, but I swear she had the crazy eyes. And Surly never wanted to talk about her. Wouldn’t even say if they were broken up or what.

Tonight was no exception. He only shook his head and said, “Either way, you gotta do
something.
”

I’d tried and failed to fuck her out of my system before. It had only made me want her more, then. But maybe Surly was right - now that things had changed, maybe
that
was the solution. It had been in the past with plenty of other girls, some far clingier than Riley ever was.

“I’ll consider it.”

CHAPTER 3

I never should have agreed to this.
I strode through the doors of The Beehive and looked over the packed bar, my eyes traveling past everyone’s heads searching for pops of color.
There.
Purple, green, and Riley’s red and black. I pushed my way through the Friday night crowd - all people feeling cut loose from their jobs and ready for the weekend - and found her scanning the crowd as if she were looking for someone, waiting for someone, too.

Him? Or me?

She approached when she spotted me - eyes downcast, feet shuffling. It made me feel like
I
was the asshole who ought to feel bad about what had happened.
Don’t be such a wuss.

“Hey,” she said. “Thanks for coming.”

I shoved my hands in my pockets. “Well. Could use the cash. What happened last week? Lockett said everything was fine.”

“It was,” she said, biting her lip.
Shit.
That little nervous gesture went straight to my dick. “I was just scared. You know, after I got groped that time, I keep half-expecting that guy to show up again.” She stared down at her shoes. “And I missed you.” The admission made her blush.

I had no smart replies to any of that. I was surprised she was still worried about that guy, though. It had been a while, and she’d seemed pretty casual about the incident after it happened. I’d kind of figured she was downplaying it at the time but I wasn’t going to bring it up again if she didn’t want to talk about it.

“That asshole won’t bother you again. I’m pretty sure I taught him a lesson. And Lockett can kick even more ass than I can.”

“I know,” she said softly, crossing her arms over her chest. “I just still remember it sometimes.”

Goddammit.
I did exactly what I shouldn’t have done - I gave in to my stupid protective instincts and pulled her in for a hug. She wrapped her arms around me and released a contented sigh, and I knew I was in trouble all over again. “I moved out,” she said, muffled against my shoulder. “Robin wanted to kick out one of her other roommates anyway. I’m staying with her, now.”

Well, that was an interesting development. At least that meant she probably wasn’t sleeping with the ex. It made Surly’s idea of a break-up screw a little more appealing. I extracted myself from her arms.

“Hey. Have a good show,” I said. “Maybe we’ll talk later.”

Her eyes lit up but she just nodded and scampered off to join the girls. I followed soon after and lurked around the foot of the stage while they got ready.

I’d learned my lesson after their first show - I had earplugs on hand and stuffed them into my ears before they started up their first chords. For a trio of ladies, they sure were
loud.
I couldn’t help watching them perform, though. They had a ridiculous amount of energy and they really threw it all into the show.

I scanned the crowd continuously for trouble, despite the temptation to keep my eyes locked on Riley’s legs as she stomped up and down the stage. Some jackass got a little too close and tried to snag an upskirt picture but a well-placed elbow quickly shut him down. Otherwise there wasn’t any trouble - and thankfully, it appeared that the girls hadn’t noticed. If the guy had managed to upset Riley I would have done more than plant an elbow in his gut. It would have been ugly.

They ended their show on a note so loud, I could feel my eardrums vibrating despite the plugs. Riley shot a shy smile my way before darting offstage, but Robin approached me, green hair darkened with sweat. “We’re having a party at my place after the last band,” she said, “You’re invited if you want to come.”

Surly had warned me that they were having a get-together and would probably extend an invitation. He would be going himself after his restaurant shift was up. I wanted to go and I didn’t want to go all at once, but hell, who turns down a party? And Riley hadn’t been too weird so far - maybe it would be all right.

“Sure,” I said, “Count me in.”

It
was
in Brooklyn, but I had a suspicion that I wouldn’t be leaving the house until the morning anyway. Not with the looks Riley shot my way after Robin delivered the news, and not with the way I was feeling. All it took was that one embrace, that one moment with her chest pressed against me, with my hands just hovering over her curves, to waver every bit of resolve I thought I had. It took only one shy smile to dissolve my anger.

She’d moved out, after all. Maybe I had overreacted just a little. Just… maybe.

○●○●○●○●○

Jen acted as a buffer on the subway ride to the apartment, chatting tirelessly about their upcoming shows and about the bands they’d be competing against for the contest they’d entered. Apparently they’d scoped out every last one of them and decided that they themselves would be the clear winners.

One thing I’d learned about Jen over the years, she didn’t lack self-confidence.

“We play our instruments better, for sure,” she declared. She and Riley were too wound up to sit down, so I shared the bench with Robin.

“Vocals included?” I asked, and she stuck her tongue out at me.

“Vocals especially.”

“I dunno,” I shrugged. “Your high notes could use some work.”

She shot me a warning glare.
As if I’d forget.
I wasn’t supposed to get too cute with her when Riley was around. Apparently Jen had told her that we’d never been together, but that had been a lie. Not dating, just sex, and it was over a year ago.

And also the year before that, a couple of times. Surly didn’t know either and we both preferred to keep it that way.

We could hear the music playing from outside their building when we walked there from the train station - Robin’s third roommate had already gotten the party started. Their place was more of a townhouse, really, with only four apartments. I couldn’t imagine her neighbors would be too thrilled with all the noise but it
was
a Friday. And maybe they’d been invited.

Jen pulled me away from the group and into their kitchen and pressed a can of beer into my hands. “Be nice to our girl,” she said, pointing an accusing finger. “She’s all sad and mopey and I can’t have her distracted with the battle of the bands coming up.”

I knew the feeling. “I can be nice,” I said with a wink, more because I couldn’t help myself than because I wanted to get tangled up with Jen again. Ever. The girl was too wild even for me at times.

She jabbed my shoulder. “I mean it. At least talk to her. Clear the damn air.” She ran her fingers through her purple hair with an exaggerated sigh. “Don’t make me lock you two in a room until you either fuck or kill each other. ‘Cause I’ll do it.”

“I have no doubt.” I laughed at her scowl. “I’ll be nice! Go enjoy your party. Is your guitarist friend coming?”

Her scowl deepened. “He’d better.”

She was always bringing home a variety of jerks and assholes, but this guy had been around a couple of times from what I’d gathered. Maybe he’d stick.
Then we’ll have to stop flirting entirely.
A disappointing thought - though I’d mostly lost interest in flirting with her since I’d met Riley, anyway.

“Well I want an introduction.” I swatted her ass as I left the kitchen and her playfully offended “hey!” followed me out.

Riley found me before I could find her. She softly said my name and brushed my elbow with her calloused yet delicate fingertips.

“Riley,” I replied, tapping my can to hers. “Congrats on moving in here. How’s it living with Robin?”

“It’s good,” she said, “It takes a long time to get to Coconut Cup, so I’m looking for another job a little closer.” The tiki-bar where she worked was up near her old apartment in Queens. Physically it wasn’t far, but the trains could take a damn long time, especially on weekends.

“Finding many openings?”

She shrugged. “Might have a little luck downtown at one of the bars we’ve played at before.” She sipped her beer and licked her lips, and that’s all it took to make me stir in my pants,
dammit.
Her lacy black top that bared the pale tops of her breasts certainly didn’t help matters. I guess I still wanted her, despite witnessing her kissing her ex.
He kissed her, not the other way around,
I reminded myself.
She’s extracted herself now.

I still wanted her. It was no use denying it. But I wasn’t sure I could trust her.
This is why you don’t do relationships, stupid, you can’t afford to have your head all mixed up like this. Especially not now!
My dick was going to override my brain, though. It usually did.

“Jen wouldn’t tell me many details but I know you’ve got a big fight coming up still, right?” she asked.

“Yeah,” I nodded. I hadn’t told her who it was that I was fighting before, and I sure as hell didn’t want to talk about it right then, either. So I changed the subject.

“Good show.”

“Yeah.”

God, I hated how awkward our conversation was. Well, I was a self-declared king of blunt, so if we couldn’t do small talk, then blunt it would be. I leaned in close and said, “Things are all fucked up but I still want to fuck you.”

She recoiled and blinked up at me.
Okay, maybe a touch too blunt there.
“I want you, too,” she said, “I’ve been wanting you this whole time, but I messed everything up.”