Free Crushing on the Bully by Sarah Adams Page A

away.
    For the month that she avoided him he had driven by her place several times trying to get up the nerve to explain things to her. The guys of Starless had told him not to.
    “Gal’s better off in the dark for now,” Hugo had said.
    “Don’t get her wrapped up in this,” Lobster warned, “She’s a happy girl and you don’t want to fuck with that.”
    “Lotta help you bastards are,” he cursed as he slipped his helmet on, “Maybe I should have told her in the first place. She couldn’t be any more useless to the situation than you ass hats, could she?”
    Skull revved the engine and headed towards the pub. He knew he shouldn’t head there angry, but he couldn’t face his empty apartment yet. Not when less than five minutes ago he had been on the verge of confessing everything to Clarissa. How that quirky woman had won him over, he might never be sure.
    At times Skull thought it might be her vulnerability. Other times he thought it might be the ember of fire that burned within waiting to go off at him without warning. Clarissa was damn sexy when she was angry.
    Skull parked his bike in front of the pub and killed the engine. He tore the heavy helmet from his head and hung it on the handlebars. Before stepping away from his bike he took a few deep breaths. The Starless guys weren’t being unhelpful on purpose and he knew that. Hugo had threatened to quit helping him in his search if he lost his temper again.
    “I shouldn’t have come here,” he said as he walked inside.
    “Skull!” Lobster cried out cheerfully, “Didn’t think you’d be back so soon.”
    “Well, here I am,” Skull said, trying to sound nonchalant, but failing. He turned to the bar tender and ordered a soda. He was still a few months from being able to drink, but he didn’t think he wanted to even then. It would just dull his senses.
    “You just need to leave that girl alone,” Hugo chuckled, “You have more important things to worry about, Skull.
    “I don’t want to talk about her,” Skull said staring into his dark colored soda.
    “She break up with you again?” Lobster asked.
    “I said I don’t want to talk about it,” Skull said.
    “I’ll take that as a yes,” Lobster chuckled.
    “Leave him be,” Hugo said.
    Skull sighed and guzzled down his soda before storming out. He couldn’t face his empty apartment, but he couldn’t stand another moment of being trapped in the pub with the Starless either. He put his helmet back on and headed towards the highway. He needed a long quiet ride to help him unwind.
    “That always does the trick,” he grinned to himself.

 
     
    Chapter Eight
     
     
    Avoiding Skull was more difficult than Clarissa had thought it would be. Before meeting him by chance at the grocery store she hadn’t even know of his existence, but since the night she kicked him out of her apartment two months ago, he seemed to be everywhere she went. The weekend after their blow out she went shopping at the mall with Julie. Clarissa hadn’t bothered to tell Julie that she had seen him again or what had transpired between them. She just wanted to let the memories fade away and to be done with Skull, while she still could.
    “Look it’s that guy again,” Julie whispered in her ear as they walked towards the food court.
    “What?” Clarissa hissed, “Where?”
    She knew there was currently only one guy that would make Julie talk in low, hushed tones.
    “To the left at the leather store,” Julie said and Clarissa turned to look, but Julie stopped her, “No, don’t look. Let’s just hurry up.”
    “Clarissa!” Skull’s voiced reached her ears and her heart skipped a beat and she stopped in her tracks, paralyzed.
    “Just act like you didn’t hear him,” Julie urged, pulling on her arm.
    “Go ahead,” Clarissa sighed, “I’ll meet you at the food court.”
    “Are you sure?” Julie said her face scrunched up in what was supposed to be a sympathetic look.
    “Yeah,” Clarissa nodded, “Go