The North Star | COMPLETED ✔️

Chapter 30 ~ New distractions

Bard above ^^ Hubba Hubba

Chapter 30

I shuffled my feet and chewed my bottom lip. It was an awkward feeling. One minute I'm on the verge of a hormone overload, and the next I'm witnessing something that seemed a bit too personal. Definitely too intimate for me to just keep standing there gawking at Bard's back. Should I go inside?

Yes, idiot. You should go inside.

I took a step back, then another, then... froze.

Amber pulled back, eyes shiny with tears, but that wasn't what made me pause. It was the way she looked up at him. Not friendly. Not in the least. Before I knew it, I was holding my breath. Suspicions rose up like steam around me, and I waited.

"I couldn't get ahold of you, so I just... came. I needed you, Bard. I... I've missed you so much." Her voice broke, and she cupped his face.

Bard stood immobile, staring down at her. I couldn't see his face, and for once, I wished I could. I wished I could get a glimpse of those freaky eyes and see if they cut the same when they looked at her.

But I didn't need to.

She lifted up onto tiptoe and pressed her lips to his.

Mother fucker.

I turned away and stormed inside.

He's got a fucking girlfriend.

I didn't need that kind of drama. I had enough of my own. That wasn't me. Here he was, pursuing me like the devil himself, and all the time, he had a girl waiting for him. A better looking girl. Hell, she looked ready to take on the whole wilderness with him. It was a match made in heaven.

I hated her for it, which was stupid. I couldn't be jealous. In order to be jealous, you'd need to actually want a man, and I definitely didn't.

Not me. Nope. No men. Singular entity. This was good. A good thing. Bard had a girlfriend, and no matter what had kept them apart, she was back now. She could occupy him. He wouldn't be so focused on me.

He could have a new distraction.

A shower, that would be good. I just needed a shower. My chest felt tight. A pulled muscle. That must be it. I rubbed the area and took a deep breath. I pulled a muscle while we were fighting.

The clock on the wall read ten o'clock. I had an hour to get ready. I get to tattoo. I clung to that thought, tried to focus solely on it and not on the murmured hush of voices I could hear coming from behind the RV.

They dulled to nothing when I turned on the shower, and I tried not to think about it when I stepped inside. It didn't matter. This was just proof. He was a man. He was just an ordinary, asshole of a man. No different from any other. This was a blessing. An eye opener before I took it too far.

I stepped out, wrapped myself in a towel, then set to blow drying my hair. I wanted to skip it, just go into the shop early, but regardless of my need to get away, I couldn't walk in there my first day as an artist looking like a drowned rat. I needed clients. I needed people to want my work and come back for more.

Once finished, it looked nice. Feathered kinda. I left it down, and put on the last clean outfit I had.

Another pair of shorts, and a black tank top. I was thankful for the tank top. The still healing tattoo was sensitive, and there was only so much sting a girl could take in one day.

When I stepped out the front door, Bard was getting into the Camaro.

Amber already sat inside of it.