“You mean he came by to ask you to take him back.”
“Yes.” She raised her chin. “And stop looking at me like I’ve committed a crime.”
“Is that what I’m doing? Or is that your guilty conscience talking?”
“I don’t have a guilty conscience.”
“You hugged him. I saw you hug him. Did you kiss him?”
She stared at him in disbelief. “I can’t believe you asked me that.”
“That’s not an answer.” So much for being cool. He had to struggle not to explode. “You’re going back to him, aren’t you.” It wasn’t a question.
“No, I’m not. And right now I don’t much like you either.”
He wanted to feel relieved. But he didn’t. Because he didn’t believe her. “Why? You’re mad at me because I’m asking you a perfectly reasonable question?”
She walked into the kitchen and pulled out a bottle of water from the refrigerator. He noticed she didn’t offer him one. After twisting off the top, she drank some water. “It isn’t reasonable. I’ve told you I don’t want to go back to Phil. I don’t know how much clearer I can be.”
“You could start by not hugging the son of a bitch.”
She stared at him with her mouth open. “You’re being ridiculous.”
Maybe so but he couldn’t seem to help it. “I didn’t come over to fight with you.”
“Guess what? You failed.”
He gritted his teeth. Unclenched them deliberately. “I came to apologize for what happened when you said you wouldn’t move in with me.”
She leaned back against the counter and glared at him. “That’s not what I said. I said I needed to think about it and that I didn’t know if I was ready to move in with you. And that pissed you off.”
“I was wrong. I should have been more understanding.”
“So naturally you come over and yell at me about Phil when I’ve told you I’m not getting back with him.”
He rubbed his hands over his face. “If I hadn’t seen him I wouldn’t have lost it.”
“You’re in luck, then. He’s leaving town. Soon.”
Thank God. But… “How do you feel about that?”
“I’ve been telling him to leave since he got here, so obviously I’m glad.”
“What about you? What are you going to do?”
“What do you think I’m doing? I’m staying right here. I’ve told you a gazillion times that I don’t want to get back together with my damn ex-husband!”
Her voice rose with her last few words. She was pissed, obviously. “Why are you so angry?”
She took a turn around the room, then faced him with her arms crossed over her chest. “I’m frustrated as hell. I’m pissed because I practically had to take a shovel to Phil’s head to make him understand. And you’re no better.”
That got him. “Me? What did I do?”
“You can’t seem to accept that I’m not in love with Phil, no matter how often I’ve told you. I’m sick of it.”
“And sick of me.”
“That’s not what I said. I’m tired of your behavior. I’m tired of explaining my feelings over and over and clearly it’s not sinking in.”
