I shook my head.“No.Not really.Just…not taking no for an answer.Not accepting I broke up with him.I blocked him on my phone, he went to my DMs.I went private, he started sending me flowers and gifts.He’d show at my house, though I wouldn’t open the door to him.He’d come to my work to”—I did air quotation marks—“‘take me to lunch,’ and I’d never know if he’d go away calmly or we’d have a thing.Though, more often than not, we had a thing.”
He extended his long arm to me and snapped.“Phone.And engage it.”
“What?Why?”
He dropped his arm.“You still got him programmed in?”
Yes, I did, in case things escalated and I needed evidence to present to authorities, so I didn’t delete anything, not even his contact.And I did this before I knew what Hutch told me about blocking a number and those comms would still be there.
I didn’t say that.
I just said, “Yes.”
“Right.Why I want your phone is because that was on the Misted Pines page.So that means he knows where you are.Which means he might be gearing up to do something that will bug you and piss me off.So I’m gonna call him and tell him to keep his ass home, because if he hauls it up here, it’ll be in a jail cell because we got a lot less patience in our hick town for men who don’t take no for an answer than those fucks in the big cities do.”
I wasn’t certain of his assertion (case in point, the cult next door).
However…
Part of me was curious to hear how he’d communicate that to Bryce.
Part of me wanted to hear him communicate that to Bryce.
All of me was wondering if this was a friends-with-benefits side benefit.
I’d never had such a friend.
Though, I sensed we were making it up as we went along.
“Babe,”—he did the arm extension, snapping thing again—“give me your phone.”
I hesitated.
“May, give me your fuckin’ phone,” he demanded.
I glared at him.“You’re being really bossy.What if I don’t want you to call him?”
He crossed his arms again.“Then I won’t call him.Though, when he gets here and I drill his teeth down his throat with my fist, you’ll be needing to dip into your inheritance to bail me out.”
Most of the time, I was super happy about his level of testosterone.
Right now, not so much.
He’s lost his shit at the idea you’re with someone else.
Me…
With someone else.
AndBrycewas pissed.
Good God.
“You know”—I threw up my hands—“fuck it.Let him come.I don’t want you to punch him, but, seriously, Hutch.What the fuck?I mean, why do I have to put up with this guy who imploded a woman’s life?A woman he vowed to love and cherish for the rest of his days.A woman he made babies with.And that’s just her.He did the same to me with his bullshit.Dating me.Falling in love with me.Making me fall in love with him.Talking about moving in together.Giving me a stupidring.On bended knee, Hutch.Bended…freaking…knee.”
I stalked to the kitchen to put away the groceries, still ranting.
“And then his double life gets discovered, two women a mess and sobbing in a fancy restaurant, and he thinks, ‘Oh, I’ll just pick one.And I want the shiny new model who didn’t pop out my babies…yet.’Like I’m going totake him?Like he thinks I’m so dumb I won’t know he’ll do itagain?”
