Jax and Blaine look at each other and smirk. Jax is the first to speak. “Porter doesn’t know what the word no means.” He nods to Blaine. “So he showed his ass what it looks like. He got to him first. It could have been a lot worse. Trust me.”

Blaine reaches for the nearest glass of beer and pours it over his head, before shaking his wet hair out and popping his neck. “He was all up Madison’s ass, trying to dance up on her and get under her skirt. Madison told him to fuck off and that he can’t handle a woman like her, so that motherfucker pulled his dick out and bent her over the bar. I grabbed him up before he could touch her and threw his head through the window. I should have killed his big ass.”

Taking a deep breath, Blaine steps in front of Madison and grabs her face to check her out. “I’m sorry that he even fucking touched you. You alright, babe? I told you to stay next to Jax.”

Madison nods her head and begins telling Avalon that she’s fine and not to worry, when Avalon pulls her away and starts questioning her away from us.

Blaine is exactly like me when it comes to women. He is rough, unfiltered and likes to fuck . . . a lot, but touching a lady when she doesn’t want to be touched is how a man can lose his fucking dick in my bar; that or his fucking life.

“I’ll get the window fixed,” I say as I exhale. I’m not making him pay for it now. Not after knowing why he did it. I would have killed the fucker. He got off easy. I’d rather have a broken window any day over a woman getting sexually abused in my presence. “Good shit, Blaine. You’re lucky you have a good reason this time.” I turn to Jax. “Get Avalon and Madison home safely. They don’t belong here.”

I allow a quick glance in Avalon’s direction, to see her worried expression, before disappearing into my office and breaking the first thing that my hands can touch. This is the last thing I wanted her to be here to witness and the last thing that I needed to have on my mind right now. It brings up too many damn memories.

I sit here in the dark and let my past consume me . . . killing me from the inside out.

Life is a bitch . . . and she has me by the fucking throat

LOOKING COLTON STRAIGHT IN THE face, I say it. The one thing I came here to say. It’s been eating at me since his party, and partially even before that to be honest.

“We need a break, Colton. I’m not happy anymore, with us, and I think you can feel it too.”

Rolling his eyes, he runs his hands over his face in frustration, and then takes a seat on the top of the picnic table. I stare at his overly expensive watch as he exhales deeply and prepares to talk me out of it. I’ve been preparing for this moment for days now, already knowing that he’ll either try talking me out of it or think I’m joking. “Babe, don’t do this. Nothing good ever comes of a break and you know it. It would be stupid of me to allow it. You belong with me. I don’t want a break.”

I purse my lips and watch him as he pulls out his phone and begins to reply to a message, as if it’s the most important thing in the world and can’t afford to wait five damn minutes. “This is my point.”

Standing up, I look down at his fast typing fingers and shake my head in annoyance. “The only thing you seem to care about is your work. There’s no room for me in your busy life and I’m honestly getting worn out just waiting for the right time to make my appearance. If we can’t even sit down and have a ten-minute conversation about our relationship without you pulling out your phone and getting lost in your own little world, then we have a problem. A huge problem, Colton.”

I suck in a deep breath and exhale when he stops typing to look up at me. “You’ve changed, and I hate to admit this, but it’s not for the good. We either take this break or we end it for good; your choice, because I’m not going to sit around and watch you act like a prick anymore. A break is the best option we have at the time. What will it be?”

Colton stands up and grabs my arm, attempting to pull me into his lap, but I stop him. It’s not going to work on me. I’m too fed up at the moment.

“Babe . . .” He sets his phone down. “I know I’ve been sort of a dick lately, but my job can be very stressful. You can’t blame me.”

“Yeah,” I say stiffly. “And so can a shitty relationship. You can’t blame me.”

Closing his eyes, he grips the picnic table and lets the reality of our situation sink in. It takes him a few minutes before he actually turns back to look at me. “Fine. I can handle it for a few weeks, but no more than that, Marie.”

“Avalon,” I spit out. “Damn, you’re good at pissing me off. Come talk to me when you fall off your damn high horse. Hopefully it knocks some sense into you, or at least hits you in the damn balls.” I take a deep breath. “I need to go. I have work to do. Important clients waiting to be seen.” I take off in a hurry, making my way to my jeep.

“Yeah, you do that . . . but do me a favor.”

I stop walking to turn around. “What is that?”

“Stay away from my maniac brother and his friends. You’re too good for those assholes.”

I let out an annoyed laugh. “You really are a lot different than I remember six months ago. I hope you can see that before it’s too late. Goodbye . . .”

With that, I jump into my jeep and drive off, wanting nothing more than to get away before my chest explodes.

I LOOK BESIDE ME AT Madison and shake my head at her last question. She never ceases to amaze me. “No he didn’t get on his knees and cry like a pussy.”

Madison gives me a brief look of disappointment. “Oh damn.” She pouts. “I was hoping he would cry, or at least wet his khakis.” She waves her comb at me. “He didn’t do either, huh?”

I laugh and turn back to my client, Kaci, to start on cutting the next layer of hair. “Sorry for the disappointment, Madi, but no.”

I see her shrug from the corner of my eye. “I wouldn’t have been there to see it anyways. There’s always another time.” She smiles and reaches for the blow dryer to dry Susan’s hair, her regular client.

Focusing on the task at hand, I spend the next fifteen minutes or so giving Kaci her newly layered look, before walking her to the counter to take her payment and say goodbye.

It’s close to closing time, so I start cleaning up my station while Madison finishes up with Susan and sees her out.