Kevin looks around, and I never noticed how much I hate the way his hair doesn’t even move. “Let’s get out of the middle of everyone and talk. Just the two of us.”
He grabs my arm, but I yank it back. Rhett reaches out to push him, but I block him and force him backwards a few steps. “I’ll handle this.”
“Oh, you will?”
My stomach roils, and I close my eyes, willing my body to keep the vomit down rather than making me sick right here in front of everyone. “Kevin, go outside.”
“I’m not—”
“I swear to God, I’m about to lose it. I will meet you outside,” I say, opening my eyes and glaring at him.
I’ve never used this tone with him before, and I certainly have never ordered him around. The amused look he gives me makes me wish I’d let Rhett punch him, but at least he finally turns around and walks out the door.
Turning to Rhett, I want to tell him I don’t want Kevin here, but I’m rendered speechless at the anger in his eyes. Anger I’ve never seen before. “You better get outside to him.”
“I should have just stayed home tonight,” I say with a shake of my head before walking to the door. “This is so stupid.”
Kevin leans against a Porsche, and I put it together. He would never drive his own car all the way to Georgia. No, he flew out here and rented one. Pushing off the car, careful not to scratch the paint, he smiles. “Ready to go?”
“I’m not leaving with you.”
“Why are you being so difficult?”
“Oh my God, Kevin, how many ways do I have to say it? I’m done. I’m not marrying you. We’re not together. We’re never going to be together again.”
He rolls his eyes. The ones that look nothing like the chocolate ones that captured my heart even as it gets stomped on. “Bryn—”
“The way you keep acting stupid baffles me. I gave you the ring, left a note, packed up all my stuff, and moved out. What would make you think I’m still marrying you?”
Kevin snorts, and now I want to punch him. Right in his stupid face. “You just needed to cool off. I screwed up, but we can get back to normal now.”
“It’s been months!” I shout and take a few deep breaths to calm down. “If I just needed to cool off, do you think I’d have returned, I don’t know… before now? Or called you back? Texted? Anything really besides the enormous amount of silence I’ve given you?”
“You should be planning Christmas with my family right now. Buying presents that cost more than every single car in thisparking lot. It’s pathetic, really. This really is a working town from the looks of the hunks of junk parked here.”
I sigh and look around to see Tim and Everett leaning against the building with death glares as they smoke. Great. “I don’t know how else to explain it to you. I don’t care about money. How much you can spend at any given time doesn’t impress me. It’s never been about that for me, and I don’t want to ever spend another holiday with your family.”
“Bryn, come—”
“You know I hate when you call me that. The only reason you’re here now is because your mother doesn’t approve of your mistress. The one you needed to sleep with while I was supposed to plan our wedding. I have no interest in helping you save face with your friends and family, and I sure as hell don’t give a damn what they want.”
His gray eyes stare into mine. “You can’t possibly be happy here.”
“At the moment, no, not so much. In general? Yes, I am. I’m happier here than I’ve ever been anywhere else.”
“How?”
“I have a home and friends who—”
“You have a home and friends in Chicago.”
Shaking my head, it takes everything not to burst into tears. I hate that I’m an angry crier, and nothing I say resonates with him. I’m not sure it’s even worth the effort to try and penetrate his thick skull.
“Now, I hadyourhome. Andyourfriends. Newsflash: Those aren’t real friends, and I don’t actually like any of them. Well, except maybe Jessica. And I don’t like your family. Your father still tried to get me to climb into his bed after our engagement, and it made every get together awkward.”
“He likes to joke—”
“Oh my God, don’t finish that statement. I don’t want to be surrounded by shallow people whose only real pastime outside of spending ungodly amounts of money and cheating on their partners is putting others down. Isn’t it enough for you to have more money and power than God? Do you really need to tear down people just to feel better about yourselves? Because I don’t.”
