“And he doesn’t know the whole story.”
That doesn’t matter. Common courtesy and respect are all I ask for. If a man can’t give me that, an apology means nothing to me.
“I don’t care.”
“I think you should forgive him. Hedidbreak somebody’s nose for you.”
Dear god, that will haunt me for the rest of my life, won’t it?
It’s not that he was worrying about me, it was the look on his face when he did. It wasn’t disgust, but…disappointment, maybe? Like he expected more from me. Like that little sliver I gave him, showing him a hint of who I am, it ruined the whole image of me. I felt ashamed of who I was when he turned onto my street.
I didn’t like that feeling.
I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself, and I do, every single day. His judgement isn’t enough to ruin my mood, but it is enough to make me judge him back.
“Just forgive him and move on,” Whit says, waving her hand. She bites into her chicken strip, shrugging. “It’s not like you ever have to see him again.”
I sip my juice, cocking a brow. “Except atIcebox. All of the time.”
Her chewing slows as she considers this for a second. “Well, you don’thaveto talk to him.”
I continue to gulp down my drink, almost done now. Let that irritating sound of a liquid being slurped up a straw fill the silence between us. I still haven’t told her about his proposition and I don’t think I will. That can exist and die between Carter and myself. I’m horrified that it was ever offered in the first place.
“Right?” she asks, her eyes searching my face. “Or…do youwantto talk to him again?”
I stare at her. “Absolutely not.”
“I mean, you kind of hesitated there,” she says.
“I didn’t.”
‘I was being polite by saying ‘kind of.’ You totally hesitated.”
I throw her a dirty look. “No, I didn’t.”
Don’t look at me like that. I didn’t hesitate!
“Spaced out, really,” she adds, nodding to herself as she smothers her chicken strip in ketchup. “Looked like you were envisioning Big Boy naked.”
I didn’t hesitate and I definitely wasn’t doingthateither.
I wince. “Whit.”
She shrugs, talking to herself now. “I don’t blame you. Have you seenthe guy? A pretty perfect specimen if I’ve ever seen one. Definitely has anger issues, but we can work on that.”
“Who iswe?”
“Me and you,” she says simply, glancing up at me. “If you date him, I pretty much date him, too. If he’s acting a fool, that looks bad on me. I have a reputation to protect.”
I’m not sure what this ‘reputation’ of hers is. Whitney is a nurse who comes from a good family. She takes pole dancing classes on her days off for fun, she’s a pilates addict, and a diehard Pittsburgh fan. That includes any and all sports teams in this city. Hockey is her favourite, though. She’s a serial dater who’s never found anyone remotely interesting enough to settle down with. I’m unclear what part of that could be impacted by Carter being linked to me.
“Well, good thingwe’renot dating him and I’m never going to speak to him again.” I flash her a tight, mocking smile that she expertly ignores.
“What’s his sign?”
Nope. Not happening. We aren’t going down this road. Not now. Not ever.
“Absolutely not.”
