Page 25 of Spring Break Fling

“Why’d you even date her if you were just going to sabotage it?”

“I didn’t know she’d go into stage-five clinger mode,” I said. “She got all serious way too fast. I tried to pull back, telling her I was going out with friends or was busy. She wasn’t horrible, but she was just so damn needy. I couldn’t fucking breathe without her asking what I was doing. Where was I going and on and on. She wasn’t taking the hint, so I made sure she had a reason to hate me.”

Jessie raised an eyebrow. “By hooking up with her friend?” I could see the disapproval on her face. “Did you cheat on her?”

“No. I slept with Jenna after we broke up.”

“How soon after?”

I cringed, knowing how bad the truth sounded.

“Nikko, how long?”

“The next day. I knew there was no way she was going to get the picture. Desperate times call for desperate measures.” I shrugged. “Worked, didn’t it?”

“You’re a piece of work, Nikko,” she said, shaking her head.

“Yeah, a masterpiece,” I shot back.

She rolled her eyes but couldn’t hide the grin tugging at her lips. “You’re insufferable.”

“Better than being boring,” I said with a laugh.

“If a guy did that to me, I would exact some serious revenge,” she said.

“Which is why I would never date you. You’re scary.”

Jessie chuckled. “Oh, please, I’m a kitten compared to some of the wild cats you’ve dated.”

I snorted, wiping down my station. “Maybe so. But you’d still eat me alive.”

“Probably,” she admitted. “But then again, I wouldn’t have to worry about you cheating with my friends, would I?”

The dig hit home, but I shrugged it off with a smirk. “Depends on how irresistible your friends are.”

The sound of someone rattling the locked front door made us both turn. A figure stood outside, shadowed against the glow of the streetlight.

“I’ll get it,” Jessie said, heading for the door.

“Wait.” I stopped her, my stomach sinking as I got a good look at the man outside. The tattoos on his neck, the hunched posture, the way he scanned the shop like he was casing the joint—I recognized him immediately.

We weren’t about to be robbed at gunpoint. But that might be a better option than what was waiting for me on the other side of the door.

“Fuck me.”

“What’s up?” Jessie asked. “Should I call the police?”

“No, I’ve got this,” I said with a disgusted sigh. “You can head out the back.”

She hesitated, glancing between me and the door. “Why the back? Who is that?”

“Just someone I need to talk to,” I said. “It’s fine.”

Her frown deepened. “You sure?”

“Yeah. I’ll lock up after.”

She didn’t look convinced but nodded. “Okay. Call me if you need anything.”