“Right. I’m sure that’s not the only mouth-related thing you’re doing for him.”
My stomach knotted, anger seeping into every nerve.
“Knock it off,” I said, not wanting to turn the conversation back to Aiden, but my gaze betrayed me. My eyes flickered toward him with another sharp pulse of heat.
“You’re staring at him again.”
I blinked back to him. “What?”
“Aiden,” he spat. “You’re always staring at him. Finding him in the crowd. It’s like you can’t help yourself.”
I laughed, sharp and humorless. “Maybe because he’s not droning on about things I have no interest in right now.”
His eyes sharpened, lips flattening into a hard line. “You’re obsessed with him.”
I opened my mouth to deny it, but immediately snapped it shut. Maybe because, deep down, I knew he wasn’t entirely wrong, but I wasn’t going to let him think he was right.
“And you’re obsessed with your imaginary team of men,” I shot back. “I’d say we’re even.”
My heart dropped at the sight of his face, but I didn’t show my sudden burst of fear.
It was the wrong thing to say.
He hadn’t been overly cruel to me, but I knew he had a temper.
His jaw tightened, and his hand shot out, gripping my arm harder than necessary. “You think this is funny?”
“No,” I said, my voice laced with venom. “But I do think you’re pathetic. You know nothing can happen between Aiden and me.”
“I’m pathetic? Yet you can’t even deny you are obsessed with him. Nothingcanhappen? Do you hear yourself?” His eyes blazed with anger, and for a second, I thought he might actually saysomething worthwhile. Instead, he leaned in, his voice dropping to a low, sharp edge. “You know what? I’m done. You’re not even worth the effort. You act like this fun, carefree girl, but you’re actually crazy. And not in a good way.”
I knew I went overboard with my actions sometimes, but I also knew it was the fastest way to push someone out of my life when they had overstayed their welcome.
I stood up, my stomach dropping at the rejection. As if he could hear my thoughts, Aiden glanced over at us, the sneer on his face not helping tamp down my anger.
I lifted the barely touched drink I still held, tipping the cup until the mix of shots he thought I’d been drinking washed over him. The red hue on his face deepened, his fingers wrapping hard around my arm.
“You bitch.”
“I’m pretty surecrazy bitchwould be more correct, according to you.”
I wiggled my arm free enough to reach into my small purse, pulling out a lighter, and tried to flick it on. I hated this. Hated I was the one standing in the middle of a bar with this loser of a man breaking up with me, and worse, I hated that Aiden would see the whole thing. I could feel the wheel of the lighter spin but couldn’t see if the flame took.
A flash of movement stole my attention, followed by a sharp grunt.
Aiden’s arm shoved between us, his elbow driving back and up. My ex stumbled, dabbing at the blood trickling from his nose.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” Aiden’s voice was sharp, cold.
My ex laughed, lips curling into something cruel. “Breakingup with the bitch. Funny enough, I did it because she’s obsessed with you. And you’re obsessed with her.”
Aiden’s hand shot out, grabbing my wrist hard enough to make a point.
“I’m obsessed with not letting her set you on fire, you fucking idiot.” His eyes flicked down to my fingers and the lighter still clutched there. “Did you seriously think you could grab her, and she’d politely wait until you were done?”
My ex glanced at me, his eyes wide. “Is he serious?”
I grinned with a shrug. “How lucky are you that the lighter isn’t working?”
