Total pages in book: 188
Estimated words: 179812 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 899(@200wpm)___ 719(@250wpm)___ 599(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 179812 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 899(@200wpm)___ 719(@250wpm)___ 599(@300wpm)
He slides his glasses into the neck of his t-shirt as he speaks. “Do you remember what I said last night?”
His voice is low and still I flinch as if he shouted. As if the whole café not only heard him but now knows exactly what happened last night. Then, gripping the edge of the counter and keeping my voice as stern as possible, I say, “I’m not going to talk to you about last night.”
His gaze drops to my lips for a second before he lifts his eyes and says, “Then you probably shouldn’t have forgotten one of the rules.”
“What rules?”
“About running your pretty pink mouth about other guys,” he reminds me, his voice more of a growl and his jaw clenched.
“Are you…” I claw at the glass in frustration. “That was a joke, you asshole.”
“Told you not to make jokes about that.”
I watch him for a second before narrowing my eyes at him. “What about you, huh?”
“What about me?”
I lean forward. “What about your colorful history? All the girls that you’ve been with. I may be making jokes about other people, but you’ve actually been with other people. And it’s not as if I can forget about it. It’s plastered all over the internet.” Then, folding my arms across my chest, I can’t help but add, “Oh, and weren’t you the one who was engaged, between the two of us? So don’t come in here and tell me not to talk about other guys when you have zero moral ground to stand on.”
Okay, so maybe I shouldn’t have added in that part about Isadora. That’s still raw and he really loved her, loves her. I mean, that’s the whole point of him doing whatever he did last night—I still don’t get how I factor into that, but that’s a separate point—but how dare he stand here and lecture me about other guys like I committed a crime when he’s the one with a mile-long rap sheet.
“I’ve got a colorful history, yes,” he says, his jaw ticking in displeasure. “And unfortunately, it is plastered all over the internet. Can’t really help that now. But I don’t go about throwing it in your face every two seconds like you do.”
“I—”
“And just the fact that you’re still not over the engagement, which was bullshit by the way, something you already know very well, given that you were hellbent on giving me all your wisdom about it, goes to show you need this as much as I do.”
“I don’t—”
“But,” he keeps going, without giving me a chance to speak, “how about we make a deal? For as long as this lasts, I don’t mention other girls and you don’t use other guys to fuck with me.”
My first thought is that’s fair. My second thought is I’m crazy. Because this is crazy. There is nothing here that will last. Nothing at all, and I honestly don’t know why he’d think that in the first place.
I close my eyes for a second to gather myself. Then, “Tell me what you said to Callie about my phone number. Because if you said anything to her, anything about the craziness of last week, I’m going to lose it, do you understand? She’s my best friend and—”
“Nothing,” he replies finally.
“What?”
“Didn’t have to say anything,” he explains further. “Lifted it off her phone.”
I gasp. “So you did steal my number.”
“Guilty,” he murmurs, looking anything but.
I grit my teeth. “God, you’re such an asshole.”
“And you’re pretty fucking cute when you’re being outraged about useless things.”
My heart skips a beat. “Stealing is not…” I take a deep breath before switching gears. “Look, I don’t know why you’re here, okay? I don’t know what’s going on with you, but I’d like you to leave now.”
He uses his index finger to inch the brim of his cap up. “I think you know why I’m here.”
“Just—”
“For you.”
I clench my thighs at the shiver that passes through me. “And now I’m asking you to l-leave.”
Again he completely ignores me and says, “It’s a good thing I came because now I’m debating something.”
“Debating what?”
“Whether I like you working here or not.”
“What?”
“Thought it was a coffee shop, so how bad could it be,” he murmurs, as if analyzing and concluding things in his head. “I mean, you probably need independence. You can’t just be mine. I’ve got a sister, I know. And I’m all for that, trust me. And even though this isn’t a career choice, something we’ll also chat about, and my job is temporary anyway, I thought coffee shop was doable. But I don’t think I like the idea of you getting coffee for every motherfucker out there.”
I’m speechless. I’m completely speechless right now.
“Not to mention,” he keeps going in the same tone, “that asshole you went on a date with works here too. He’s your boss. I don’t know if I like the idea of you working under him. Especially when we both know that he literally wants you there. He’s already used his position of authority to his advantage once.”