“Help me understand.”
I ran a hand through my hair.
“I’m not good enough for her.”
Shayla blinked at me.
“Seriously? That’s your reason for leaving her vulnerable to every shitty guy who doesn’t see what’s special about her and only cares about what she can do for him?”
She snorted.
“You deserve it when some crappy guy like Ben swoops in and throws the wool over her eyes.”
She nodded behind me, and I turned. A scowl sprung up when I found Ben crowding Dani into the wall. He spoke animatedly. Dani had a polite smile on her face, but her eyes searched for an excuse to get away.
“I like Dani,” Shayla continued, “but she sees the best in people, even when it’s not deserved. Someone like her is catnip to a user. You say you’re not good enough, but those assholes don’t give a shit about her. They want to use her, but she deserves someone who cares about her.”
I sat back in my chair, stunned.
Chapter 22
DANI
My mind wandered as Ben rambled about the song he played tonight. With half an ear, I monitored the crowd to ensure everything ran smoothly. I made mental notes of tables I needed to check on once I escaped.
My eyes strayed towards where Shayla and Jake were in serious conversation. When I first saw them together, my heart spasmed. They’d be a gorgeous couple, and Shayla was nice and funny, which Jake deserved.
“What do you think?”
“What?”
Ben’s nostrils flared, and a muscle in his jaw flexed.
“I asked if you wanted to get a drink sometime.”
I sighed and stepped awayfrom him.
“Ben, I’m at work, and we’re really busy. You’re a nice guy, but I already told you I’m not dating right now.”
His eyes flashed.
“Your loss.”
He stomped away, and I exhaled my frustration. When I turned around, I almost ran into Jake.
“Everything okay?” he asked, his expression worried.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” I rolled my eyes. “He won’t take the hint.”
“Are you interested in him?”
I scoffed.
“No, but he thinks I’m playing hard to get.”
Jake’s brow wrinkled the way I adored, and I patted his chest to console him. Damn, I shouldn’t have done that. Now my fingers wanted to explore all that delicious muscle.
“It’s fine. Eventually he’ll move on to someone else and forget about me.”
