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“It does. But it’s what we have to do.” I lift my cocktail. “For Joe.”
Jen’s mouth moves into a tight grin. “For Dad.” She taps her glass to mine, glancing across the restaurant as she sips.
That’s when she blinks. Eyes go wide.
Someone she knows is here.
eleven
. . .
Abel
Husband
It’s the situationship.Has to be.
Glancing over my shoulder, I know I’m right.
A group of guys is walking into the restaurant. They’re loud. Sunburnt. One of them has his elbows on the hostess stand and is leering at Gina.
It’s obvious they’re completely and utterly wrecked.
Glancing at Jen, I see the light in her eyes go out. She pulls away from me, body tight on the barstool. Legs together, shoulders and back hunched.
She’s literally making herself smaller at just thesightof this clown.
“Which one is he?” I keep my voice low as I reach for my water. I did not plan on going to jail tonight, but if I do, I’d like to be hydrated before being whisked off by the police. “And don’t play dumb. He does not deserve your sympathy.”
Jen’s eyes meet mine. “What are you talking about?”
“The guy who’s upsetting you. The not-boyfriend boyfriend. Ex-situationship.”
“Abel.” She looks down and straightens the napkin on herlap. “It’s fine. I wasn’t expecting to see him here. I have no idea why he’d come to Bald Head?—”
“Because you’re here?”
“I didn’t tell him that, no. Just ignore him, okay? It’s not a big deal.”
I nod at the half-eaten slice of pizza on her plate. “That why you suddenly lost your appetite? Because him showing up is not a big deal?”
Is she still into this guy? Even after the way he’s treated her? Even seeing how obnoxiously drunk he and his dumbass buddies are tonight?
Maybe if I rearrange the features of his face, she’ll move on. Not with me, obviously. But with someone who doesn’t play games.
“It is a big deal if he’s upsetting you,” I say.
“I’m asking you to please drop it and enjoy this beautiful meal. No more black eyes. Yours is finally starting to look better.”
She’s right, of course. I’d love to teach the asshat a lesson. But while the pull-out in my studio isn’t the most comfortable thing in the world, it’s better than the bed in a Brunswick county jail cell. And I would die before I upset Jen. Situationship has already upset her enough.
I have to think about Riley too. I’m eating in his restaurant, for crying out loud. I have to respect his demand that I stop giving and receiving black eyes.
No sucker punching Situationship, then.
I can, however, make it abundantly clear that the girl he gave the runaround to is now my wife.
Grabbing her stool, I pull her closer. Jen glances at me, fork poised over her plate, but she doesn’t touch her ring as I curl my hand around the nape of her neck. Her skin is warm here. Soft.
