“That's literally all anyone's asking.” Scarlet throws her hands out wide. “Change is hard. I get that. I don't expect you to magically like me overnight. Some days I don't even like myself.”
I tug her into my side, bringing my lips to her temple.“We’regonnakeep working on that, baby girl.”
She turns in and presses a chaste kiss to my lips.
To his credit,Atlasonly looks a little green around the gills when I address him.“Allwe’reasking you to do is to be respectful.You’rea good guy. Iwouldn’tthink of you as my brother if youweren’t, so suck it up and figure it out. I had a lot of misconceptions whereScarlet’sconcerned, and I think you do, too.”
“Yeah, maybe.”Atlas shrugs, staring down into his empty glass.
A weighted silence falls over the table, but Clint appears with a tray full of drinks before anyone can say anything.
“Scarlet, I’m so glad you made it.”He places her drink in front of her with flourish. “I knew Cara was here already, so when I saw a creek water come through, I was hoping it was you.”
She lifts her shoulders and smiles. “It's me.”
I don’t fucking like her smiling at him. I don’t like him, period. I can’t put my finger on why—other than the obvious, he wants what’s mine—but that’s enough for me. But I’ll play nice. For now.
“I hope you brought your appetite.We got to sample everything yesterday and it was out of this world.”
“I’mreally excited. It smelled so good coming in.”
I clear my throat, and Clint’s eyes snap to mine, and hefinallypasses me my beer, and goddamn if itisn’tallfoam.
I push my pint glass away and stick out my hand.“Clint, right?”
“In the flesh,” he says proudly,sliding his hand against mine.“And you are?”
I know he damn well knows who I am, but whatever. Two can play this game. “I’m Scarlet’s.”
He drops my hand like it burned him. “Scarlet’s what?”
Smirking, I shrug before swooping down to kiss her neck.
“Well,” he says tightly, “I’ll send your server by to take your order.”
TWENTY-NINE
SCARLET
“Might as wellof pissed a circle around her,” Atlas says after Clint storms off.
“Seriously,” Cara agrees. “Work’s gonna be awkward as a hell on Monday.”
“Ugh.” I cover my face with my hands. “I’ll go talk to him in a minute.”
“Or you could not,” Ellis says. “He’s a big boy. Surely he can handle a bout of rejection.”
“Oh my god, Sunshine.” Idrag my fingers through the condensation on my glass and flick it at him. “Do you even hear yourself? No one was rejected. Clint’s my friend,that’sit.”
“Clint wants to fuck you,” he states plainly.
“Just becauseyouwant to fuck me, doesn’t mean every man wants to.” I turn toward the last person I ever expected to ask for back up. “Tell him, Atlas.”
“While I absolutely agree with you that not every man wants to fuck you, that one definitely does.”
“What the hell, y’all?” I ask, turning to the girls at the table for support.
Nora shrugs, but the pink blush staining her cheeks is answer enough.
