The tires screeched against the pavement as I tried to press the brakes as hard as I could to avoid the inevitable. My heart thumped inside my chest as my knuckles whitened while my grip tightened around the steering wheel. What stunned me more, was not bracing my body or waiting for the crunch of the metal between the two cars during impact, it was the visions that ran through my head. The visions that seemed to haunt my dreams each night despite trying to erase them. 
     His shirt ripped open while the blonde woman had been draped over him as if in some trashy photo. Her dress, red. Just as I had described that I would wear when I had intended to do the same thing. The photo that was stilled in my mind. Eyes closed. His lips pressed against hers. And the utter betrayal that swept through my body, the blowing crush that was going to be just as hurtful as the impact about to come from…
     BAM! 
     The next sound snapped my thoughts back to reality. The jolt of my body careening forward despite trying to brace myself for impact caused all thoughts, including that one, to leave. 
     My breaths were ragged as I tried to catch my breath and take in my surroundings. It could have been worse had I not seen the truck coming toward me and I tried to stop. My airbags didn’t even deploy. I wasn’t sure about the exterior of my car. Or his truck. 
     As I exhaled, I mumbled, “You’ve got to be kidding me.” Tears welled in my eyes as the culmination of everything that had happened over the past few weeks seemed to swell into this one little traffic accident. It was just one more thing that kept adding up. The throbbing in my head wasn’t anything compared to what I’d been through when my heart had been torn out by the person I’d trusted with my life, but right now all of it was compounded together. 
     The moment my heels hit the pavement, my emotions were replaced with a different feeling as anger swept in. After taking in the new dent and cracked headlight, I glared at the white truck that just nailed my passenger side front bumper. A new emotion formed inside of me. I’d been through the desperation, the sadness. My ego had been crushed. This accident now threw in a new one for me and it was a cyclone of everything I’d been through. I almost felt bad for the guy. Almost. 
     I watched as the driver’s side door flew open. Exasperated, the man’s blue eyes flicked from me to the car and back to me. The moment his eyes met mine, my anger level turned down just a couple of notches. The concern shone in his beautiful blue eyes. The problem was, I wanted to stay angry. I had to considering this was the latest emotion that would help me through all my troubles. 
     “Are you all right?” His deep voice was caring and shone in his eyes. 
     I nodded and focused on the new dent in my cream Audi. The headlight was cracked and I cringed knowing I might have to talk to John. The way I had left things with him, I never wanted to speak with him again. Especially, since I had initiated the divorce and he wasn’t happy about it at all.   
     “Your car doesn’t look too bad.” His deep voice was sexy, yet I still wanted to stay angry. Thinking those thoughts would get me nowhere anyway. “We should probably pull over and get out of the way.”  
     I quirked my brow. I wasn’t sure what set me off, but the anger of being told what to do swept over me hard. Jerk. John cheated on me, but I felt the need to blame this guy for what John had done. Anger, hurt and needing to feel desirable all swirled around me. That and the nervousness of having to talk to John about this.  
     “You asshole! Look what you did to my car! I had the right of way and I saw you talking on your phone. You know you’re not supposed to do that because obviously, this happens,” I said as I gestured over to my dented car. Yeah, going with anger felt much better. 
     “Look, I’m sorry.” His words came out but surely didn’t match what he was supposed to have meant.  I watched his eyes gaze over my legs, my body and then finally up to my dark, wavy hair with a small, childlike impish smile. The corners of his mouth turned up and his eyes shined like he was just given a peek at a nice gift. “Look, let’s pull out of the intersection and settle this calmly. We don’t need to get the cops involved,” he said. 
     I chewed on my lip for a moment before turning around and getting back into my car, not bothering to acknowledge him. I sat there for a moment as I watched him jump back into his truck. He was actually a pretty good looking guy and seemed to be around my age. I wondered what John would think if he caught me strewn over a desk with him between my thighs. The thought both turned me on and angered me considering that was how I caught John and Mallory. My stomach churned and I glanced back at the white truck.
     The good thing about this was his suggestion. If this guy could get my car fixed without me having to contact John, it would be my best bet. Not to mention, I wasn’t sure if John canceled my car insurance. Or if he was going to cancel payments toward the car itself. Crap. Would John do that? I did leave him, so it wouldn’t surprise me if he tried to get me to contact him that way.    
    I watched the man back up his white Ford F-350 truck and noted the advertisement on the driver’s door panel “Marquis Construction Company”. 
With shaky hands, I put my blinker on and made a u-turn to follow his truck. Steadying my hands, I inhaled deeply to help calm myself as I pulled into the parking space behind the truck. It’s not that bad, I reminded myself. It was just a fender bender, really. Aside from everything else going on in my life, I should be thankful it wasn’t worse.  
I got out of my car and glanced at my watch, realizing my new problem. I was probably going to be late for my first day of work.
“It seems the damage isn’t too bad. At least your car still runs, right?” He asked, chuckling at his own joke.
Great. He probably has no money to pay for the damage to my vehicle. I glanced back over to the dent and broken light. No, the car didn’t look too bad. And it was still drivable, but I couldn’t help but take out my anger on him. The anger that should have been directed at John. 
     I gestured to the damage being as dramatic as I could. “You can’t be serious. Look at what you and your huge truck did to my little car. I’m surprised my wheel doesn’t hit the fender and actually moves!” 
Okay, so I was a little over the top, but I wasn’t about the admit that to him.
     He glanced back at me with that same impish smile. Jerk. He may be cute, but he really messed up my car and after being screwed over, literally, this one wasn’t going to be added to the list that seems to keep growing.   
     “Okay,” He agreed, nodding his head, “My big truck really did some damage to your cute little car.” He smirked in what I could only assume he wanted to make sure I got his stupid joke. 
     Instead of giggling like a stupid school girl would have done, I glared at him wanting to throw daggers.  
     A slight cough and change of expression as he noticed I wasn’t laughing at his silly joke. “I don’t have my checkbook on me, but here’s my card. It has the address for the company I work for and you can come down to the site later so I can pay for the damage. Or I could come to your office,” he offered and also giving me a sexy grin. 
     No, I couldn’t have him coming to my new job and interrupting. I took the card he offered and rolled my eyes—again dramatically. “Fine, I’ll come to your site later today. I should leave work around five-thirty. Are you going to still be there?”
     “Yes, I’ll hang around and make sure I’m there. Can I get your number, just in case?” He asked looking down at me with gorgeous blue eyes and long lashes. And that sweet, sexy smile. 
     I practically huffed at his inconspicuous attempt at obtaining my number. “No, I don’t have a cell number yet. I’ll call you if I have any problem finding the place.” Which actually was true, I really didn’t have a cell number yet. My cell phone was just another way John would be able to get ahold of me. I had left it on the counter, along with my wedding and engagement rings.  
     “Great, then I’ll see you around five-thirty. I really am sorry about this. I’ll be sure to make it up to you.” He smirked. Bastard. Good looking bastard but a bastard still the same. I turned and got back into my car hoping I wasn’t going to be too late.
     I glanced quickly in my rear view mirror and noticed he was shaking his head and still staring after me.  I wondered if it was because he was attracted to me or if my car was falling apart as he watched me drive off. Probably the later with the way my luck was running.