Broken (9 page)

As the door to the elevator opened, I exited, standing taller, as I walked with my head raised and a smile on my face. Tim, the doorman, grinned when he saw me walking up to him. I’d usually kept my head down and never looked at anyone.

“Miss Reynolds, you look like a new woman.”

I smiled bigger. “I am, Tim. Today is the first day of my new life.”

He nodded. “I’m glad to see you happy. You deserve it, Miss Reynolds. I hope you find happiness, and I hope it’s far from here.”

I stopped and looked at him, stunned by his response.

How many people knew?

I smiled and nodded before turning and walking up to Courtney’s new truck.

After I got in and shut the door, she had the biggest smile on her face.

“All right, baby girl. Are you ready to get your country on?”

I started laughing as she handed me a Diet Coke.

She held up her drink to mine as she started to make a toast. “To leaving behind the past and starting a new life. To forgetting about asshole men who don’t know a good thing when they see it.”

“Amen! To being done. I’m done with being treated like I’m nothing because I am something.”

“Fuck yeah, you are. Are we done here?”

I nodded. “Yes.”

I picked up Court’s iPod and found a song I’d put on there about six months ago. Once she took off driving, I hit the play button.

Courtney looked at me. “Hell yeah!”

We started singing along with Carrie Underwood’s “Undo It,” and I’d never felt so free in my life as we took off down the road to start my new life. We noticed people waving from the cars around us. Court kept waving back as we sang along to my new theme song.

“Wow! Who knew New Yorkers were so damn friendly? Sing it, Whit!”

As we headed up the road on our way to my parents’ house, more and more people were honking and waving at us.

“My God, they act like they’ve never seen two hot girls singing in a truck!” Courtney said with a laugh.

Then, she looked in the rearview mirror. “Oh shit!”

The next thing I knew, Courtney was pulling over on the side of a bridge. She parked the truck, looked at me, and busted out laughing.

“What? What’s so damn funny, Court? And why are we pulled over? Let’s go. The farther we are away from him, the better.”

She turned to me with tears running down her cheeks.

“Oh my God. Are you crying or laughing?”

She finally got herself under control enough to start talking. “Whit, all those people were honking and waving because they were trying to tell us that we had shit blowing out of the back of the truck!”

I turned and looked in the bed of the truck. All I saw were pads and tampons everywhere. I snapped my head back to Courtney, and we both busted out laughing.

“Oh. My. God! My pads and tampons were flying out of the truck!”

After we laughed for a good fifteen minutes, she started driving again. As Court pulled back out into traffic, the only thing she could say was, “That has to be a good sign of the happier times to come!”

We both lost it again and laughed practically all the way to upstate New York.

I pulled up and parked a little ways down from Joe’s. I wasn’t sure how I felt about seeing Kevin. He would just be a reminder of what happened to Mike. I put my head on the steering wheel and just sat there for a minute.

Fuck, Mike. Why did you leave me? You promised me you’d be okay. You promised me, Mike.

I sat back and took in a deep breath. I regretted telling Reed I would come out tonight. I looked up and saw two girls walking, one in a short white dress and the other in jeans. I couldn’t really see who they were because it was already dark, but one kind of looked familiar.

I jumped when someone started banging on my window. I turned and saw Bill Bishop standing outside my truck. I grabbed my hat and opened the door.

“Shit, dude. You scared the piss out of me,” I said as I reached out for his hand.

“Layton fucking Morris. How in the hell have you been?”

I laughed as he grabbed me around the neck and pulled me closer.

Jesus, he’s drunk already.

“How’s Austin, Bill? You ready to move back to Llano?” I asked as we headed toward Joe’s.

He shook his head and laughed. “Hell no, I don’t want to move back. God, Layton, how do you take it? I’d want to leave and start a new life in a new town.”

My smile faded for just a second. “Nah, I love it here. I love the country living, and I made a promise to my brother. I won’t ever break that promise.”

Bill looked over at me, and then he slapped the shit out of me on my back. “You’re a stand-up guy, Layton. Now, come on, I need to get laid tonight. Please tell me this town has some new damn girls. I heard two knock-out beauties just moved here a few weeks ago.”

I grabbed his arm and made him stop. “What? Who in the hell told you that? Who are they?”

Bill looked shocked when I started playing twenty questions.

“Um…Richard. He said they were new in town…city girls from…ah hell, where was it?”

“New York?”

Bill smiled and pointed his finger at me. “That’s it. Richard said he’s bound and determined to get in the pants of the one he has set his sights on. Guess she’s been coming into the bank a lot. Richard just keeps talking about getting a piece.”

The anger I was feeling was about to boil over. I grabbed Bill by the shirt and got in his face. “Don’t fucking talk about her like that.”

Bill glared at me and then pushed me away. “Jesus, Layton. What in the hell? Do you know this girl or something? If you got dibs, take it the fuck up with him.”

I shook my head.
Motherfucker, what is wrong with me? I don’t even like Whitley that way.

“Ah hell, Bill, I’m sorry. My emotions are running crazy. I think I’m just nervous to see Kevin, and you know…all those memories.”

Bill gave me a weak smile. “Dude, you need to get drunk and then get laid. Forget about all of it. Forget about Olivia. You don’t need that shit.”

“Yeah…I just need a drink. Let’s go.”

The closer we got to the bar, the more my heart started pounding. If I’d been walking alone, I would’ve turned and left.

As soon as we walked in, Thomas Rhett’s song “Something to Do with My Hands” started playing. The hairs on my neck rose up, and I knew it was nerves from seeing Kevin. I took a quick look around.

Misty waved to me from behind the bar, and I gave her a weak smile. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a white dress. I turned to see Whitley talking to Richard.

Fuck me. She looks amazing
.

One more look around, and I saw Courtney standing at the bar, ordering drinks.

“Holy shit. Look at the blonde at the bar. I always did like girls with that blondish-red hair.” Bill slapped me on the back again and smiled at me. “Sorry, dude. We’ll have to catch up later.”

I smiled and nodded. “Good luck with that one.”

Bill smirked. “Shit, she’ll be walking out with me in less than two hours, dude.”

I watched as he walked toward Courtney, and then I glanced back over at Whitley. She was throwing her head back and laughing at something Richard was saying.

You don’t like her, Layton. Who cares who she’s talking to?

I walked up to the bar, and Misty came over to me with a shit-eating grin on her face.

“Hey, handsome,” she said with a wink.

“Hey, girl. Looks like you got help tonight. You might even have time to spin around the dance floor with me.”

She laughed and winked. “Oh, I want to take a spin a time or two but not on the dance floor. We still on for tonight?”

I wanted to tell Misty that what had happened those two times was just pure fun and nothing more, but then I’d gone off and invited her home with me tonight.

What in the hell was I thinking?

When the music changed, I turned and looked out toward the dance floor. Whitley was dancing with Richard and noticed me looking at her. I smiled slightly, and she looked away. That was when I saw Olivia dancing behind them. She was grinding her ass into Justin’s dick as she smiled at me.

Fuck me.

I turned back and grinned as I leaned closer to Misty. “You bet that sweet ass we’re still on.”

She reached across the bar and kissed me. She let out a small moan as she bit on my lower lip. When she pulled back and walked away, I felt like shit. I had no feelings for this girl. All she was to me was just a fuck—and not even a good one at that.

She walked back and handed me a Dos Equis with a wink. “Reed and the rest of the guys are in the back.”

I smiled as I thanked her and turned to walk away. I glanced quickly one more time at Whitley. She seemed like she was just trying to be nice to Richard by dancing with him. As I was walking by a table, I saw Courtney sitting there. I stopped and smiled down at her.

“You look like you’re searching for someone or something,” I said.

She smiled as she looked up at me. “A cowboy. You’re the only fucking cowboy I’ve met since I’ve been in this damn town.”

I laughed as I felt someone nudge me. I turned to see Richard smiling at me as Whitley sat down and grabbed the beer out of Courtney’s hand. She practically downed it as she looked everywhere but at me.

“CG! You having fun?”

The look she shot me caused me to start laughing. I looked back over toward Courtney.

It’s time to have a little bit of fun with the city girls.

“Courtney”—I flashed that smile I knew melted any girl’s panties—“you want to meet some cowboys?”

Courtney lit up like a Christmas tree. “Fuck yeah. I do believe we just went over this, Layton dear.”

I reached my hand down for her to take. “Well then, my dear, let’s go meet some cowboys.”

Whitley stood and reached for Courtney’s arm. “No, I don’t think that’s a very good idea.”

Courtney and I both looked at her. “Why not?” we asked at the same time.

Whitley peered between both of us. “Um…Courtney, really, you don’t want to meet
his
friends.”

The way she’d said
his
sounded like she was disgusted with me.

“Oh yeah, I do, Whit.” Courtney turned back toward me and smiled as she held out her hand. “Show me the way, cowboy.”

We started to walk toward the back. I turned around and winked at Whitley. She had her hands on her hips, and she looked so goddamn cute, being all pissed-off.

I turned back, and leaning down, I told Courtney, “Keep your panties on tight. These boys are nothing but a bunch of horny men, and one is fresh on leave from the Marines.”

Her smile practically lit up the room. “Sweetheart, it’s been so long since I got laid. I don’t care how horny they are. They just better have functioning dicks.”

I laughed as I shook my head.
I like this girl—feisty and tells it like it is.

More women needed to be like her. I looked back to see Richard walking with Whitley. My smile faded, and I quickly turned back ahead. As we walked up closer to the table, I saw Reed and then Kevin. My heart started pounding, and it felt like my knees were about to give out.

“Layton, are you all right? Did you get dizzy or something?” Courtney asked.

I tried to give her a smile as I shook my head. “Nah, I think it’s from not eating today.”

“Holy motherfucking shit! It’s Layton Morris. And the bastard brought us a friend.” Kevin stood and made a beeline right toward Courtney.

Courtney smiled as she held out her hand, and Kevin kissed the back of it.

“Who is this beautiful creature?” Kevin looked Courtney up and down.

I turned around and reached for Whitley’s hand. I was surprised when she took it, and she let me lead her to the front of me. The look that Richard had given me wasn’t lost on me.

“My God, there are two beautiful creatures. Layton, what did I do to deserve this?” Kevin asked when he saw Whitley.

I smiled as I took in Kevin. He was as fit as ever. He was the same height and build as me. He’d always been known as the black stallion with the local girls. All the girls would go crazy for him. I didn’t think I’d ever seen him with just one girl.

I introduced Whitley and Courtney to Kevin and explained to them that he was home on leave from the Marine Corps.

After talking for a few minutes, Reed finally noticed Whitley and Courtney. I knew it was going to be a long night when I saw his face light up as he looked them both up and down. I’d never in my life wanted to punch my best friend in the face before, but the way he was looking at them caused me to ball up my fists. He got up and walked over toward us.

Whitley was standing so close to me that I could smell her perfume.

Jesus, her scent is driving me fucking nuts.

“So, are you the city girl Layton here rescued today?” Reed asked with a smile and a wink as he extended his hand.

Whitley shook Reed’s hand. “The one and only.” She gave a wink of her own.

I glanced over and noticed Courtney eyeing Reed up and down.

Reed could pretty much look at any girl, and she’d be his. Almost every girl at every bar we had gone to would tell him he looked exactly like Colin Farrell.

Reed started laughing. “Don’t worry, Jack will take care of your car. He’s the best. Welcome to Llano. What in the world made you want to move here?” he shouted over the music.