Scars of the Present Read Free

go fuck in your car.”
    He looked confused for a moment before a grin started to fill his face. He pulled my hand and led me into the direction of another parking lot.
    There was a time when I would have just taken him back to my place, but after one of my nightly hook-ups had beaten Maddie while trying to brutally rape her, I had stopped. Every now and then I’d go back to their place, but I found that sex in a car was as good as any place.
    I briefly had the thought cross my mind that this would be two hookups in one day and I knew that basically made me the queen of sluts, but I didn’t care anymore.
    We reached a red SUV and Nick unlocked it before opening the back door. I glanced at the child car seat that was buckled in and turned around to fix him with a look.
    “Are you married, Nick?”
    He didn’t respond right away and I saw him glance to his hand where there wasn’t a ring present. But after looking closer, I saw that the marks of a ring being there recently were present. I opened the passenger door and stuck my head in, glancing between the front seats. There sat the signs of a woman: a few hair ties, a tube of pink lip gloss, and a couple of tampons. I shut the door and turned back to Nick with a frown.
    “I don’t sleep with married guys. You’re a prick and your wife doesn’t deserve you.”
    I made to leave and he grabbed my wrist quickly. “Oh come on, Sydney. You can’t just get me all excited like that and leave me hanging.”
    I pulled my wrist out of his grip and took a step closer to him, my finger pointed in his face. “You’re disgusting. Enjoy fucking your hand tonight.”
    I walked away from him, listening for his footsteps in case he decided to follow me. I had a mini-stun gun that had been given to me by Maddie’s older brother for Christmas and I kept it tucked in my small bag, but so far I hadn’t had to use it. I knew I was small, but I liked to think I could hold my own.
    By the time I reached the end of the parking lot, I hadn’t heard him follow me and he confirmed it by yelling, “Fucking tease!” across the space. I didn’t turn back around and instead rounded the corner to the main street.
    After I was out of his sight, I stood in the middle of the sidewalk, trying to decide if I wanted to go back into the club or go home. A glance at my phone told me it was after one in the morning and I decided that the night was a bust. I stayed still for a moment, assessing my level of intoxication and I realized that even though I’d had those two drinks over an hour ago, I felt almost stone cold sober. I started walking back to my car and I felt frustration start to build in my stomach. Not sexual frustration, but frustration with the world. I just wanted one uncomplicated night, but even that was too much to ask, apparently.
    Once my car came into view, I pulled my keys out of my wristlet and pressed the button to unlock it. I had almost made it to the door when I heard someone speak from my left.
    “Do you think you should be driving, Sydney?”
    I whipped my head around in surprise and narrowed my eyes when I saw Detective David Bradley standing there alone, obviously just leaving the bar on the other side of the lot. He wasn’t wearing the suit I had become accustomed to seeing him in, but instead he was wearing a pair of jeans and a t-shirt that fit him nicely. His light brown hair was just as unruly as it ever was and, along with the slight stubble, there was a small frown fixed on his face.
    “I don’t think that’s any of your business, detective ,” I hissed at him, adding as much venom to my voice as I could. I opened my driver’s side door and tossed my wristlet in before turning back around to face him, startling a little when I realized how close he was. He had taken the steps to close the distance between us and his face looked pissed.
    “Do you always have to be such a bitch?” He glared at me, his eyes never leaving my face.
    “At least I’m honest