Page 80 of Avenging Azalea

“Oh, and Fawn? You can call me Matt.”

Matt pushed through the door and disappeared. I blinked, wondering if that really happened. He wasn’t Titus, and no one would ever take his place. But maybe…maybe if I said yes to Matt, then maybe I had a chance at a beginning that didn’t include pining over Titus every second of the day.

Steph was right. As hard as it was, I needed to find ways to move on, but a date with my boss…I wasn’t sure that was the way to go. Then again, he was really hot and had asked me out. Was I going to say yes? Damn, I really did have a thing for older guys.

First things first. Winston was going home to meet the girls, and I had to pick up dinner for my ‘not date’ with Titus.

Chapter

Twenty-Four

FAWN

Shockingly, Titus arrived at the house not long after me, and even more surprising was that the girls acted as if Winston wasn’t even new. Almost as if Sheba had told them about him, and they were just waiting to welcome him home.

“Well, that was anticlimactic,” Titus said as we watched the dogs lying on the floor of the den, sleeping.

“It really was. Not that I mind. What do you think of him?”

Titus pressed his lips together.

“You did this so that I’d wear less black, didn’t you,” he asked, making me laugh.

“I swear I didn’t. But you do wear a ton of black.”

“It’s so that I keep that dangerous mafia look,” he said, poking fun at me.

It had become an inside joke between us as much as the milkshakes were our olive branch.

“Yes, you’re a total badass.”

Teasing about his good nature didn’t mean he hadn’t done or wouldn’t do horrible things, and that was the only bonus to being kept on the outside of his life.

“Well, this badass wants to get changed before we eat,” he said, standing.

“I’ll get the food warmed up.”

I’d no sooner started to unpack our large meal onto the island when the doorbell rang. I wiped off my hands and walked to the door. The dogs followed, and it made me smile to see Winston in the middle of the group.

Reaching the house required guard approval. It was likely a member of Titus’s immediate family, but I still erred on the side of caution. Cracking the door, I wasn’t expecting to come face to face with Titus’s fiancé.

My heart stopped as I stared at my reflection in her fancy sunglasses. She reminded me of a movie star, with her expensive outfit, perfectly styled hair, and makeup that looked airbrushed on her face. She was more beautiful in person, and every insecurity that I’d ever had rose to the surface and poked at my brain.

You’ll never be enough. Why would Titus want you? You come from nothing and will always remain that way. You’re a freeloader.

That and so much worse about my stepfather and being sold and used circled the drain of worthlessness. I stomped out the noise, knowing it would be back when I least expected it, and pulled the door open wide.

Vera screamed when she saw the dogs and practically jumped down the steps. Not that it would’ve saved her if they really were vicious, which they weren’t. It would’ve been funny, except she could’ve broken an ankle with the awkward way she stumbled back.

The dogs hadn’t moved.

“Ryadom,” I said, pointing and then stepped outside.

“Oh my God, there is a whole pack of them,” she said, staring at the closed door.

“You’re Vera, right?”

She nodded with a huff and smoothed down her dress.