I loved Ardnoch, but the small-town life had kind of worn on my nerves this week.
“Anyway …” Carianne glanced between Fyfe and Lewis for help. “How are things? Lewis, when do you start working at your dad’s firm?”
“Tomorrow.” He gave her a toothless smile. “I heard you’re a hairdresser now. How’s that going?”
“It’s good, it’s good. I keep busy. I just started doing hair extensions too.”
“Good.”
“Are you staying at your parents’?”
“The annex, aye. Until I find somewhere.”
“The flat next to mine is up for rent. It was a holiday let, but they’ve decided they want a permanent tenant.” Carianne practically fluttered her freaking lashes at him. “It would be nice to be neighbors. I could bring you sugar anytime you ran out.”
Feeling Fyfe’s gaze, I shot him a disbelieving look.
He grimaced in sympathy.
So I wasn’t losing my mind.
Carianne was flirting with Lewis!
Breakfast turned sour for me. Out of politeness, I ate what I could of Fyfe’s delicious cooking and tried to catch up with my friend while trying to ignore the fact that my other friend was flirting with my ex. To Lewis’s credit, he valiantly attempted to deflect the flirting and kept shooting me worried looks.
Cariannewas oblivious.
And as hurt and irritated by her as I was, I had to remind myself that I’d never told her I still harbored feelings toward Lewis or that I’d had sex with him a mere two weeks ago. As far as she was aware, we broke up when we were kids like she and Fyfe broke up, and so Lewis was fair game.
But it wasn’t the same.
She and Fyfe dated for a year and were never that serious.
Lewis and I dated for three years and made everyone sick with how in love we were.
You just … you just didn’t come on to your friend’s ex-boyfriend and certainly not in front of said friend!
Finally, unable to take much more, I pushed away from the table. “Sorry to love and leave you, but I have some prep to do this afternoon for opening tomorrow.”
Fyfe frowned. “Your mum gave you a lift here, right? I’ll take you home.”
Lewis shot to his feet, his chair scraping back so hard it almost toppled. “No, I’ll do it.”
I gave Fyfe a pleading look, but it went ignored as he cleared his throat. “Aye, that’s a better idea.”
“I can give you a lift,” Carianne offered instead.
I was about to pounce on that when Lewis glowered at her. “No, you can’t.”
Carianne’s lips smacked shut in shock at his tone.
He winced. “Sorry. Sorry.” He turned to me, emotion swarming in his eyes. “Let me take you home. Please. I’d like to talk.”
Recognizing the determined expression, I knew I could run away from Lewis only for him to approach me another day until he got what he wanted, or I could get this awkward encounter over with now. “Fine.”
Relief eased the tension in his shoulders. He nodded and then turned to Fyfe. “Thanks, bud.”
Fyfe smirked. “No problem.”
