“Mmhm.”She narrowed her eyes.“You used to ‘accidentally’ jog past her house when you were sixteen.You followed her art competitions as if they were the Super Bowl.And you’d start stuttering whenever she came around at our place.Don’t play dumb with me, Dylan.”
Shit.I dropped my face into my hands.“You’re never gonna let me live that down, are you?”
“Nope.”She grinned.“So you’re not just screwing around?”
“No.”I lifted my head, meeting her gaze.“This isn’t some game.I… I care about her.”
Something softened in her expression.I asked, “So you’re not mad at me?Katie?Us?”
“I was never mad,” she said, shrugging.“Just disappointed that you both went behind my back to…” She waved her hand.“Bump uglies, or whatever you kids call it.”
I groaned.“Amanda,no one?—”
“You are adults.And honestly?I’m glad you finally grew the balls to ask her out.”
“Hey!”
“What?I had to say it.”She laughed.Then her smile vanished.“But Dylan… if you hurt her, I’m kicking you out.”
“I would never,” I said instantly, chest tightening at the thought of hurting her.
“Good.”She nodded and patted my shoulder.“Treat her well.”
I should’ve felt relief after that.And I did.Mostly.But the unease settled back in when I thought about Katie at work.With that fuck-face.
That prick had been sniffing around her for months, maybe years.Yeah, she’d told him she liked someone else, told him she had a boyfriend, but I knew guys like him.He was entitled and smug, and Katie ghosting him at the restaurant must have hurt his weak ego.
He would stoop low enough to hurt her.I couldn’t let that happen.The thought of it gnawed at me until I couldn’t take it anymore.
* * *
Two days later,I was walking into her office building with a takeout bag hooked in my hand.It was lunch.A reminder that I was real, solid, andhers.
It felt nice to tell the receptionist that I was there to see my girlfriend.
But when I reached her door, my stomach knotted.Through the glass wall, I saw Justin standing inside her office.Katie’s arms were crossed, her shoulders tight.
I hated how my pulse raced, hated how every instinct screamed to go in there and drag him out.
Instead, I forced myself to knock lightly.
Katie looked up.Relief flooded her face, and she waved me in.“Dylan,” she said quickly.“You brought lunch?”
“Yeah.”I held up the bag, eyes flicking to Justin.“Thought you might need a break, darling.”
Justin’s scoff made me want to break his jaw, but Katie’s hand brushed my arm, grounding me.“Stay,” she murmured as if I was her dog, growling at Justin.She was right.I was.“Eat with me here.”
So I did, once that fuckface left.We set up at her desk, and she slid the takeout containers closer.Her eyebrows were furrowed.
“You okay?”I asked.
“It’s just work.”She nodded, though the tension didn’t fade.“He’s being… difficult.”
Difficult.That was one way to put it.
I handed her chopsticks and tried to focus on something lighter.“I talked to Amanda.”
Her eyes widened.“And?”
