After Nick leaves myapartment, I snuggle into the couch to allow myself a few minutes to cry.
I know Gloria said Carson has somewhere to stay until I get the foster parent stuff squared away, but six months is a long time to live with a stranger. Even if Gloria says she knows them personally, I’m still worried. I mean, how many kids does she see every day? She can’t possibly have enough room in her heart to care about each and every one of those kids, can she? Not the way I care about Carson. And I’m sure getting his situation sortedout as quickly as she did was a tremendous weight off her shoulders.
But that doesn’t mean I have to be happy about it.
The tears course down my cheeks as I allow myself to settle into the disappointment.
I thought I’d finally found the nurturing side of me. And what about my mother and aunts? They’re downstairs right now, smothering Carson with all their love, so eager to welcome him to our family. How can I tell them it’s not happening now? How can I disappoint them again, after I’ve been disappointing them my whole life?
Shit. I still need to go downstairs and face them all.
At least I avoided Nick’s “we need to talk” conversation. That, on top of everything, would have been too much to bear. A sob tears free from my throat and I slam my fist into the couch cushion. And why was he so being so fucking nice if he’s planning to break up with me? Or stop seeing me? Or whatever he’s doing to end whatever this is?
Shit.
I’m not ready for it to end. I don’t want it to end. Who says he gets to decide things are over? That’s bullshit. I refuse to sit back and let it happen. I have a say in this too, damn it.
I unfold myself from the couch and head into the bathroom to clean up before going downstairs. One look at my splotchy face in the mirror tells me I made the right choice. I can’t come clean to my family about Carson, and demand that Nick give me another chance while resembling a defective tomato. My family won’t care, but I don’t think it would help my position with Nick all that much.
After splashing my face with water and fixing the bun on top of my head, a noise in the living room gets my attention. Shit, Did Nick come back to have that conversation after all?
“Nick? I don’t want to stop whatever this is we’re doing,” I blurt as I quickly wash my hands. “I’ve never had a relationship, but I want to try with you.”
What I see when I step out of the bathroom has me freezing in my tracks. No. Not what. Who.
Milton. Fucking. Maguire.
“What the fuck are you doing in my apartment again?” How dare this guy come back here?
“Is that any way to greet the man who’s here to take you out?”
My eyes roll so far back I think I see my brain. “Not that shit again.” I am not in the mood. My mother and aunts assured me they had this dating app fiasco taken care of. So what is this idiot doing back here? Maybe he’s confused? Against my better judgment, I try the polite approach. “Listen, you should have received a message canceling any date we may have had. My mother and my aunts set up profiles without my knowledge. We do not have a date.”
He shrugs and bares his teeth in a menacing smile. “Not my problem. I was promised a date, and I’m here to collect.”
Okay. Looks like the polite approach isn’t going to work. “Are you insane? What is the matter with you that you want to date someone who clearly wants nothing to do with you?”
He takes a step forward, and I instinctively step back. The predatory gleam in his eyes makes my gut clench. “A real man isn’t afraid of a little fight from a woman. A true alpha male relishes the opportunity to”—he slicks a yellow-coated tongue over his chapped lips—“overcomeresistance to show a woman what she really wants.” His wolfish grin is back.
My skin crawls as he takes another deliberate step. “Ew, are you fucking for real, dude?‘Show a woman what she really wants’? Newsflash, dickhead. I can guarantee thatyou”—I jab a finger in his direction—“are not onanywoman’s wishlist.”
The smile drops from Milton’s face, and he snarls. “You fat fucking bitch.How dare you talk to me like that?”
“You’re in my apartment uninvited.Again. I’ll talk to you however the fuck I want.” Jesus, this guy must be allergic to getting a fucking clue. And what is it with these misogynists and all the body shaming? It’s exhausting to listen to.
He barks a cruel laugh. “Keep at it, Tina. You’ll see what happens when your big guy friend isn’t here to knock me out and throw me in a dumpster.”
I can’t stop myself from snickering. “You dumbass. Nick didn’t knock you out.I did.And I’ll do it again if you don’t get the fuck out of here.” Seriously, what is with this guy? “But if you really want him to take a turn, he’ll be back any minute.” I doubt he will be, but if this idiot is afraid of Nick, then I’m willing to use that fear to get him the hell out of here.
“Nice try,” he says with another cruel laugh. “I watched him walk into your restaurant five minutes ago, where several older women with butts even larger than yours swarmed him. I think he’ll be busy for quite a while.” He takes another step forward, forcing my back against the wall. “Plenty of time for you to get on your knees and apologize to me properly.”
My heartbeat ramps up several notches as the rage within me builds. I try to draw in a calming breath, but Milton smells like old cheese and too much body spray, and it’s all I can do not to gag. He must sense my disgust, though, because he laughs.
“I don’t think you understand the situation you’re in here, Tina. I’m here to collect on the date I was promised.” He steps back and I seize the opportunity to take a breath free from his stench. “Now, why don’t you go change into something a little nicer? I’m taking you to dinner in Spitz Hollow. Lord knows there aren’t any decent restaurants in this town.” He sneers at me. “No offense.”
This is crazy. Is this negging? That’s what he’s doing, right? He’s trying to make me feel bad about myself so that he can swoop in with a half-assed compliment that I’ll then swoon over so he can take me to bed. What a fucking moron.
“You’re insane,” I mutter. “That’s the only explanation.”
