“Can we take the car and continue this privately?”
“OH! Now you’re embarrassed to be seen with me! Is it because I’m SMALL?”
“Yes,” I snap, my frustration breaking through. “That’s exactly what I said. Embarrassed by your height. Yep, that’s the issue here.”
He narrows his eyes. “Careful with the tone, Jackpot.”
I count to three, then continue to six just in case.
“Did you hear what I said about you?”
“You said your legs are longer than I am tall!”
I rake my fingers through my hair. “To Jake. I told him how lucky I am to have you.”
He kicks at a pebble viciously.
“Congratulations! You found the last virgin in North Carolina! The only guy you haven’t had sex with. I’m a collector's item!”
His words feel like a slap.
He darts away again, but I’m right behind him.
“I can’t erase my past,” I say, trying very hard to stay calm.
“I’m not asking you to!” Tears pour down his face. “I’m erasing myself from your present!”
My stomach drops.
“You’re breaking up with me because I’ve had sex?”
“Rub it in, why don’t you!”
I press my fingers into my eyelids.
“Do you think I enjoy being called Jackpot? Here’s a newsflash for you—I don’t. It’s the stupidest fucking nickname I can think of and I hate it.”
Antonio stands very straight.
“Here’s a newsflash for YOU!”
He takes a breath, then promptly forgets his newsflash. He lets out a frustrated hiss.
“I’ll say it in a minute! It was very CLEVER!”
“Let’s just get in the car. It’s the sensible thing to do.”
“Don’t patronize me!”
“It was hardly patronizing.”
“Saying it was hardly patronizing is the most patronizing thing you could say.”
He jabs my chest.
“I just remembered my newsflash.”
He jabs me again.
