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“What’s wrong?” I ask before I can stop myself. “Did I crack it?”
I should have, but instead he just grunts, shaking his head. “Nothing.”
“Of course you’d say that. Obviously, something’s wrong.”
“My mom is overbearing.” It’s the slightest insight, but it’s like pulling teeth to get even that much. But before I can try to pry that crack open, his phone rings again. He looks at it, and in the movement, I can see that the screen still says Mom.
“You gonna answer that?”
“No.”
Yes! He may not have realized it, but Mr. C-K-I don’t know your name just handed me leverage on a silver platter.
Before he can do anything, I reach down and pinch his nipple through his shirt, twisting it sharply. He yells and bucks his hips, half throwing me off as he curves away from me, giving me the perfect chance to grab his phone. I lunge and snatch it, scrambling to my feet and sprinting around his truck in an instant, but he’s hot on my heels.
“Give it!”
I keep him opposite me as much as I can, a standoff of inches around the bed of the truck. “Or what?”
I hold up the still ringing phone, and he demands, “Don’t you dare.”
His phone buzzes again, and never being one to do what I’m told, I hit the button and answer on speakerphone.
“What the hell, Connor?” a worried older voice says over the phone as the guy looks worse than when I kneed him in the balls. “You’re not even answering my calls now? Did you see my text about Caylee? Your sister is worried sick about you.”
Connor. Now I know his name. And his sister’s.
“Oh, I’m so sorry. Connor’s not available right now. Could I take a message?” I ask in a faux-sweet customer service voice.
“Oh . . . I didn’t realize,” the woman answers. “You must be Scarlett. I’ve been telling Connor we’d love to meet you for ages. You’ll be at the dinner tomorrow night, right? He told you about that? And the wedding?”
I look at Connor, who looks so different, vulnerable and almost pleading even as he tries to look angry at the same time. I’ve definitely got him by his real balls here, and I smirk. He shakes his head slowly, mouthing ‘no’ sharply.
“Scarlett?” I ask as if I’m confused.
On the other end of the line, the woman slowly says, “Connor’s fiancée?”
Desperately, Connor yells out, “I told you she can’t come, Mom. But I’ll be there.”
It seems like even that promise is painful. But honestly, it’s a little disappointing for me too. Even though I shouldn’t regret that he has a fiancée named Scarlett, I do.
But Scarlett can have her lying, stealing fiancé, and good luck to her.
“Why isn’t she going?” I mouth to Connor.
He glares . . . again. I glare back, not budging an inch. Nope, you might be able to pin me to the ground like I’m a feather, but I’ve got the advantage here.
At least, I think I do until Connor lunges around the corner of the truck, and with a wingspan that would make a basketball player jealous, he grabs my wrist in an attempt to get his phone back. He struggles, but we end up both holding it, fighting for control of the device. “What’s up?” I whisper again. “Why isn’t she going?”
“She doesn’t exist. I made her up to get my mom off my back,” he admits reluctantly, almost blurting it out but still whispering quietly so his mom doesn’t hear. Shocked, I let go of the phone, and he snatches it back victoriously. “Mom, I’ll have to call you back, ’kay?
I’m not done, though. Before he can hang up, I yell, “Absolutely, I’ll be there. I wouldn’t miss it for the world. Connor is helping me out with a little laptop problem right now, but I’m sure we’ll have it straightened out in no time and will be there for dinner.”
I see him flinch when I use his name. Or maybe it’s that I just promised his mom that I’d be at this family dinner. Whatever it is, he can suck it because I’m going to use this opportunity to get my laptop back. I know he has it. He all but admitted it, because who would offer to buy a new laptop if they weren’t feeling guilty for stealing the original? Only some Daddy Warbucks kind of guy, and though my hair is red, I’m not getting Orphan Annie vibes when Connor looks at me.
“That’s awesome, dear! So glad to hear it,” Connor’s mom says just as quickly since she’s probably used to her son hanging up on her, if I’m catching the vibes right. “Okay, I’m going to go before Connor disagrees. Tootles!”
The line goes dead, and Connor looks at the device in his hand as if he can’t believe what just happened. Slowly, so slowly I can almost feel the secondhand ticking by as he moves, his eyes lift to mine. Cold fury burns in their blue depths, the gold flecks flashing like sparks. I smile and offer a little finger wave. “Hey, fiancé. Now, about my laptop.”
