I raised my chin. “It’s none of your business what’s happening between Alec and me. You and I aren’t together anymore, so you get no say in the matter.”
He scoffed. “It sure as fuck is my business if you were sleeping around on me.”
My chest tightened. I tried to suck in a breath, but it got caught in my throat.
“How—” The word squeezed out but cut off too quickly. I inhaled roughly and tried again. “How dare you accuse me of that?”
First Lake and now Thad. Was that really what everyone thought of me? That I was a cheater?
“I’m the one who had to go to the clinic to get tested for STDs,” I hissed, leaning close so that no one else on the nearly empty beach would be able to overhear us. “I’m the one who had to explain to a nurse that my boyfriend had proven he couldn’t be trusted. I had to wait days for the results. Do you know how stressful that is?”
Thad rolled his eyes. “As if I’d ever risk going without a condom.”
“How would I know what you’d risk?” I shrieked, clamping my hands firmly to my hips because, otherwise, I might lose control and slap him across the face. “I didn’t think you’d have sex with my cousin, but you did. I don’t know you at all!”
We both fell silent except for the sound of my ragged breathing. We stared at each other, neither of us seeming to know what to say.
A figure moved behind Thad. I blinked and squinted as they came into focus.
It was Alec.
Chunks of wet sand sprayed everywhere as he pounded along the beach toward us, heedless of his surroundings. He kept a wide berth around Thad, slung his arm around my shoulder and drew me tightly against him. His glare was locked on Thad, and even as he kissed my temple, his focus on my ex didn’t waver.
“Leave her the fuck alone.” Alec practically vibrated with rage. “Can’t you see you’ve upset her? Haven’t you done enough?”
Thad’s nostrils flared. “I deserve to know what my girlfriend was doing while we were together.”
I grimaced. Perhaps I’d been getting through to him, but any progress I’d made was shot to hell now.
“I never cheated on you,” I said tiredly.
“You’ve got your answer.” Alec steered me away from him. “Come on, cocobug. Your Dad was just telling me about a bakery down the road that they visited yesterday. Let’s go and check it out.”
He didn’t pull away as we started to walk, and his proximity warmed me inside.
“That sounds nice,” I said, allowing him to put distance between us and Thad.
With his free hand, he took his phone from his pocket and opened a maps app. He guided us through the resort and out onto the road. A paved sidewalk stretched alongside it, and after only a few minutes, we arrived at a small cluster of shops.
The bakery was immediately obvious because of the small, square tables with white and blue sun umbrellas arranged outside. Alec opened the door and held it for me as I entered. The interior was just as cute, with comfy-looking chairs in the same shades of blue and white as the umbrellas.
Alec led me to the display cabinet and my mouth watered at the delicious array of pastries, cakes, and bread. I chose a glossy chocolate croissant with pastry that looked buttery and flaky and had chocolate oozing from within.
Alec ordered a prosciutto and mozzarella sandwich, as well as a coffee for each of us, then we took a number and retreated to one of the tables nearest the floor-to-ceiling windows looking out onto the street. A slatted wood wall separated us from the next table over and we were out of sight of the main entrance.
It didn’t take long for our food to arrive, along with a plain black coffee for Alec and a caramel macchiato for me. I stirred my coffee and tasted it.
Mm. The perfect mix of sweet and dark.
Next, I tried the croissant. The pastry melted on my tongue. I closed my eyes and moaned. When I opened them again, Alec was staring at me.
“What?” I asked, self-conscious. “Is there something on my face?”
“No.” He blew a breath out of the corner of his mouth. “I just can’t look away from your lips.”
My pulse thrummed faster and my tongue darted out to dampen my lips. Suddenly, I was more aware of them than I’d ever been in my life.
What was I supposed to say to that?
