Go, Molly!
Owen turns redder as he stares at her. His face says he can’t believe she has the audacity to talk like that to him.
No reason for her to waste any more energy on this loser. “You can do whatever you want if you don’t mind losing some teeth.” I shoot him a hard fuck-around-and-find-out smile.
His Adam’s apple bobs. He gets my message. Understands it isn’t a threat, but a promise. It’s infuriating that he doesn’t respect Molly enough to take her words seriously. He obviously dismisses people who aren’t big and strong enough to turn his face into hamburger meat.
I put my hand at the small of her back. “Shall we?”
“Yes.” She grabs her purse, then snatches the Target gift card from the table. “We shall.”
“You’re going to take my present after all this?” Owen demands.
“You said it was for me.” She narrows her eyes. “I’m not giving up book money just because you’re insecure. And by the way, Owen, you were right. You could never compete with my book boyfriends. You aren’t big enough down there, or strong enough to last for long. And frankly, honey, you aren’t that exciting.”
I try not to laugh, but fail. I’ve never seen this sassy side of her, and I adore it.
His cheeks turn red. “Iknewit! Your impossible expectations ruined our relationship!”
“No, it was you needing to improve yourpersonal brandby dating somebody else. I’m done settling. Bet your amazingly branded Dana won’t, either. So good luck, Sponge Dick.”
Laughing harder, I escort her out, even as Owen splutters.
Although she got the last word, I should do something about him. I hate his smug face, his superior tone and self-satisfied smirk.
She doesn’t deserve what just happened at the restaurant. How dare he hurt her on the day she should be happiest? She was glowing when she talked about him just last weekend. Even though this could be my opening, I hate to see her in pain. I don’t even want to think about what other humiliation and insults he might have subjected her to if I hadn’t ended my dinner and interrupted them.
Molly and I walk out into the parking lot. “Are you all right?”
“Yeah. I’m fine.” Her little smile lacks its usual sparkle. “Sorry. That little scene probably wasn’t really pleasant for you.”
“Me?What about you?”
“Yeah.” She lets out an awkward laugh, flushing in the dim light. “Me either.”
The glimpse of shyness and embarrassment pierces my heart. She has no idea how pretty she is. How much I want to coddle and spoil her.
“Anyway, thanks for coming to my rescue and salvaging my ego. But there’s no reason to put me up. You probably need your space, and I can just crash with Georgia,” she says, not meeting my eyes.
Careful, Nicholas.I always thought I was a decent catch. Nobody’s ever complained about me, and I’ve had my share of luck with girls.
But not Molly. I don’t think she’s uncomfortable with me, exactly, but there’s an invisible line separating us. Every time I get close, she backs off, quickly putting more distance between us—like she knows I come with lots of family baggage and am too old for her.
It’s frustratingly ironic that the women I don’t care for want to use me, while the only woman I want has no use for me. Molly is always independent and capable.
But tonight, I wish she’d lean on me, even if she is strong enough to stand on her own.
“Georgia’s out of the country,” I say. “Mom just took her and Paul to Europe last week, and I’m pretty sure they won’t be back for a while.”
“She is? Why didn’t she say something?”
“You know Mom. She just does what she wants, without any warning.” How Paul accommodates all of her mood swings and whims is a mystery. But somehow he does, which is why they’ve been happily married for eight years. He’s so good at humoring her that I initially thought he was some kind of gold digger. But no. He just really, incomprehensibly loves Mom.
“Oh. Well…” Molly shifts her weight. “I guess I have nowhere to go. I wish JJ hadn’t moved to Seattle.”
JJ must be one of Molly’s friends. Interesting that she isn’t bringing up her dad, who lives in the city. But I don’t point that out. “Not nowhere. You have me.”
I keep my tone casual and light. This isn’t the time to reveal how her smile struck me dumb when I first saw her at Georgia’s high school graduation eight years ago. Frankly, if Molly had been just a pretty girl, I probably would have lost interest. Pretty faces aren’t that uncommon.
