1.1 The Chronicles of Us - Vice & Virtue

Chapter five

The others spin their heads to him and the oldest man of the group asks, "You invited her, Tex?"

Tex.

My stupid heart skips a beat at the sound of his name.

"Yeah, I did." He simply shrugs his shoulders. "Now, give us some privacy. I need to talk to her."

They shake their heads but, eventually, they walk back to the front of the bus. I can hear them argue amongst themselves, but my head is too full to listen to it. I will deal with that later.

Tex closes the curtain again—as if that threadbare piece of cloth would prevent our voices from carrying through the bus— and sits down on the bench opposite of me.

The midnight eyes that set everything in motion seem intense yet cold. Even his face is pale like snow. Is that due to panic? Why, though? He did tell me to come along.

Oh, right.

I never told him I was supposed to get married today. And here I sit, in full bridal attire. He obviously needs a moment. His silent staring and shallow breathing is freaking me out a little, though, but I don't want him to think I'm intimidated, so I return his staring.

A minute or so later, he sighs and leans back against the cushion. "Boyfriend, huh?"

For lack of a better word.

I try to keep the mood light with a smile, but it's a weird one. "Technically, he was."

His eyes do a half-roll. "Fiancé is the word you're looking for."

It seems, there is a better word.

Squabbling over the appropriate noun to determine yesterday's reality is pointless. It's a brand new day, after all.

I wave his words away. "Potato tomato."

The crease in his forehead deepens, like he's trying to solve a mathematical issue. "You look young for someone who's like thirty or something."

What the actual freckle?

A huff of dumbfounded disbelief escapes my mouth. "I'm not thirty! I'm twenty-one."

This fact seems to surprise him—for reasons unknown to me—causing his entire face to showcase confusion. But something suddenly clicks. "Let me guess, the guy you were about to marry is the same guy you've dated since high school?"

Most people think it's romantic, yet he sounds disgusted. I take it he's not big on marriage. What does he know? Just because he travels around the country, doesn't mean he's wise on the subject of life-altering decisions.

Since I'm here, he's not entirely wrong. Best not to feed his monster-ego, though. He already knows the answer.

My chest seems to draw his attention. He's definitely looking at my boobs. I recognize the hunger in his eyes. Not from David, he never looked at me like that. No, it's how I look when I catch sight of a dessert cart.

Although. I think I'm wearing that same look right now while staring at ... him. I have to admit, unusual thoughts of tasting and licking him are on my mind.

I shake it off, realizing he's no longer staring at my bosom. A mean smirk appears on his face. "Well, Birdie, I didn't expect you to actually show up."

What on earth was I thinking? "Me neither."

He regards me carefully; a frown sets on his face. "You know I was joking, right?"

"Obviously." I roll my eyes but, honestly, his cold demeanor is a letdown. "I didn't come here to be your groupie. This is about me finding my way."