The cashier grins a boyish grin as I tap my card on the machine, trying to control my embarrassment, my plan to embarrass Matty seemingly turning into my embarrassment, and I mutter, “Thank you,” as I grab my bags and place them in the cart before walking out of the store, Alex seemingly very quiet.
“Well, that was embarrassing,” I sigh as I walk towards my car, and Alex clears his throat.
“Why, uh, why the condoms, darling?” he asks curtly, and I raise a brow at his tone.
“Why the man bun, Alex?” I retort, and I swear I hear someone snort, “I fucking like her.”
“The condoms, Holly?!” Alex demands, ignoring the person, and I blink.
Well, someone is salty.
“They’re for Matty,” I reluctantly admit, something in his tone telling me not to mess him about this.
I don’t know what it is about him, but I just, it’s like I’m in tune with him.
“Matty’s an extra small?” he asks with confusion, and I smirk as I take the cart back.
“Don’t know, he never wrote the size he wanted, just like he didn’t write that he wanted hair removal cream in his lube thathe also put on the list,” I say with glee as I practically skip back to my car.
“Oh fuck, she’s worse than the Untamed!” I hear someone say, and I furrow my brows and ask, “Who are the Untamed?”
Alex chuckles, “Women, you are most definitely not meeting, and I’m guessing this is your revenge for not doing the grocery shopping?”
“Okay,” I mutter, then admit, “yes, it is, and he deserves it. I still need to cook dinner, go over the lesson plans for two classes for tomorrow, and read with Lyra before putting her to bed and my feet hurt.”
Alex laughs before saying, “How about instead of cooking dinner, you come here?”
I frown and ask, “Would Cheryl be okay with that?” because I know I wouldn’t be, I mean, I know she’s inside flirting, but maybe that is their relationship, and besides, didn’t I say that I was going to keep my distance from the man?
“Why would I care if Caleb’s egg donor would be okay with you and your daughter having dinner with us?” he asks with confusion and I open my mouth but before anything can come out I hear, “Brother, Arthur was in the grocery store and heard Cheryl tell some pretty woman with blonde hair that you two are trying again.”
Uh.
“Darling, the barbecue is on, play your prank on Matty and pick up Lyra, I’ll see you in half an hour,” Alex says, full of tension, before he hangs up, and I look at my phone in confusion.
What just happened?
***
Just over half an hour later, I pull up through the clubhouse gates to find Alex and Caleb waiting, sitting astride his Harley, Caleb waving like mad, making me smile, while Alex has his sunglasses on, so I can’t read his face right now. If you’d ask me, he looks kind of pissed. I’m just not sure why.
The ass hung up on me without letting me agree or decline his invitation for dinner which was last minute and on a school night I might add and the only reason why I’m here is because he wouldn’t answer his phone when I tried calling several times and I needed to get away from Matty who was pretty pissed after he encouraged me to come to Alex’s before realizing what I did.
He wasn’t very happy with the extra small condoms, and I may have already switched the lube out for the hair removal cream, so when he goes to use it, he’ll be even more pissed, though in my defense, he shouldn’t have gotten me to go to the store for that crap.
I can feel my phone vibrate yet again, and this time, knowing it isn’t Alex, I ignore it as he nods his head to the dirt track road, and I continue driving that way, his demeanor a little confusing to me.
Lyra sings happily in the backseat as my eyes keep going to my rearview mirror, and my stomach tightens.
We shouldn’t be here. His ex, partner, or whatever she is, made it perfectly clear they were trying, so why am I here? Why am I doing this?
Why do I feel this connection to him when I swore I’d never have a relationship again?
Sighing, I pull up in front of his home, Alex parking behind me, and I climb out just as Caleb opens Lyra’s door, cheering, “Sister!” and my eyes widen as I spin their way.
Sister, what?
I look at Alex with my mouth hanging, not knowing what to say about his son's declaration, and he chuckles as he places hissunglasses on his head, his eyes firmly on me as I shut my car door.
