“What thefuck, Molly? I’ve been trying to reach you for over two days!”
“Owen? What are you doing here?”
My ex doesn’t look so suave now. A baseball cap is low on his head, and dark Aviator glasses cover his eyes. Facial hair too long to be stubble and too short to be a beard covers his chin, and he smells faintly of vinegar.
There’s a dark purplish and yellow stain on his blue T-shirt, which is a shock. The Owen I used to know would die rather than appear unkempt in public.
“I know you’re upset about how we ended, but you didn’t have to sic your boyfriend on me. Jesus, Molly! You had him buy the place where I work, dig up dirt about me and fire me? That’s low. I never wished you ill.”
Huh?“What are you talking about?”
“Drop the innocent act!” He points a finger at me. “We both know. Actually, Dana knows too. And digging up old Tweets? If you’re that upset with me, fine, come yell at me all you like. But you don’t get to destroy what I’ve built.”
I yank my arm away from his grip. “I hate to shake you up, but I haven’t really been thinking about you. You think I’d be obsessed enough with you to have Nicholas buy the place you write for and fire you? Or dig up your old Tweets? I don’t care about you! I’vemoved on.I’m living my life. And it’s a life that no longer includes you.”
“Just change his mind.”
Owen is only hearing what he wants to hear. And he’s going to believe what he wants to believe.
“Owen,listen. I don’t have that kind of influence over him.”
“This is some kind of revenge for what I said, isn’t it?” Owen slashes his arm up and down in frustration, like a guillotine. Maybe he’s fantasizing about putting me and Nicholas on a chopping block.
“What in particular are you talking about?” He’s said a lot of things in the past few weeks.
“About my personal brand! That’s why you’re destroying it! You’re jealous because you don’t have one of your own that’s worth anything!”
“Oh, for— I don’t care about yourbrand! I wasn’t with you for abrand!”
“Of course you were! You must be a stupid bitch if you think I don’t know.”
“Molly, go to the car.”
I squeeze my eyes shut. Nicholas didn’t need to see this humiliating scene with my ex.
“Now, please.” He pats my shoulder gently.
I start toward his Spectre. He doesn’t follow, so I guess he wants to have a word with Owen.
Should I intervene? Stop things from escalating? Owen might provoke Nicholas. He’s angry enough to do anything.
But if I butt in now, it might look like I don’t trust Nicholas’s judgment, which isn’t true. He can handle himself. I have faith.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Nicholas
I check to make sure Molly’s in the car before I turn my focus on Owen. For a guy so concerned with “his personal brand,” he looks like shit. And he smells like some kind of salad dressing.
“I’m going to sue your ass for wrongful termination!” he shouts, jabbing a finger repeatedly in my face. He’s trying hard to look tough to compensate for his lack of height and muscle.
It doesn’t work.
I step inside his personal space. “Feel free. Now, say what you just said earlier. To my face.”
“Or, like…what?” he blusters, sticking his chest out. It isn’t an impressive pose. “You think I can’t tell you to your face I’m going to sue your ass?”
“You called my girlfriend a stupid bitch.” My voice is terrible. “Say that to my face if you have the balls.”
