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Thankful for his niece’s short attention span, Byron had dodged the question about Vannah. But his insides were still ablaze. Was he reallythatdelusional to think she’d felt for him what he was already feeling for her after just one week? Was she really that good about making more than one guy feel they were special?
In the past he’d always made it a point to give his nieces his undivided attention whenever he was on Uncle B duty. Rarely did he answer calls or respond to texts when he was with them, unless he knew it was absolutely necessary. But instinct had him pulling his phone out of his pocket the moment he took a seat in the booth across from Elsa and Lucy.
No way would he be having the conversation he knew would be laced with F bombs right in front of them, but he needed answers. Only despite the incredible connection hethoughtthey’d made this past week; he wasn’t entirely sure suddenly he was entitled to any. Yes, they’d hadoneunbelievably romantic evening together. Yes, his gut had screamed Vannah had to be feeling everything he was after their day-long texts and nightly video chats they had thatentireweek. There was no way she was that good of an actress. He’d seen it in her eyes, heard it in her voice andfeltit in her touch and kisses on Monday. Yes, she’d sounded hands down genuine when she said she missed him. But she’d also made it abundantly clear she didn’t do the boyfriend thing. She’d been upfront and honest about it from day one and followed up by reiterating that fact in one subtle way or another even as they’d made outandthroughout the week.
As much as Byron attempted to keep up with his niece’s endless questions on everything from food ingredients, astronomy and even farm animals, his thoughts kept wandering off. But he was thankful for the minor distraction to his infuriating thoughts. It wasbecauseof them that he hadn’t already fired off all the scathing texts he kept rewording and then deleting.
There was no shortage of his nieces waving their little hands in front of him, giggling as they tried to get his attention because it was such a struggle to stay focused on them. His mind kept rewinding this past week and all the times Vannah’sfamily’spending arrival had derailed any plans to get together. By his sixth or seventh deleted text he decided he should just wait. Not only did he owe it to his two Littles to give them his undivided attention, but he also needed time to think this through.
What did Vannah owe him?Nothing.Right? Just like he still didn’t owe her anything either. Even though he hadn’t so much as considered hooking up or even responding to anyone else’s calls or texts since his first taste of those lips, would she protest ifhehad? Clearly, she was doing so. It’s not like she even thought she might need to do it on the downlow. His shop was right down the street from King Taco for fucks sake. He’d even mentioned to her more than once how often he and the guys at the shop went there. Though he’d been vague when the guys had questioned the girl who brought him food the day she did, they’d gotten a good look at her. They’d watched him walk out hand in hand with her, and even teased him about looking dazed when he’d walked back in after she left. Surely, they’d mention to him if they saw her out with another dude. Even if they thought it wouldn’t matter. Apparently, she wasn’t worried about any of that.
“You didn’t like yoursopes, Uncle B?”
Byron glanced down at his still full plate because of Elsa’s comment. Lucy was looking at the food he’d barely touched as well.
“You always finish way before me and I’m almost done,” Elsa added.
“Yo not sick ah you, Uncle B?” Lucy asked looking concerned. “Mommy says she always knows when we’uh getting sick because we stop eating.”
Byron shook his head even though he sure as fuck was feeling sick to his stomach. “I’d already eaten when your dad asked me to pick you guys up—” He lied. “—I don’t even know why I ordered anything for myself. But . . .” He stood up wanting nothing more than to distract from his obvious sudden lack of appetite. “No harm done. I’ll just take it home and eat it later. Be right back.”
His phone dinged just as he stepped up to ask for a box at the counter. His insides were back to boiling again the moment he saw who the text was from. She was texting him while she was hanging out with that other dude? Curiously, he clicked on the text message as he headed back to the booth with the box he was handed.
Thankfully, the girls were eager to box up his food for him and he took the moment to read the text.
Well, no surprise today and tonight are out. I’ll be with my family all day and night. =( But tomorrow I can squeeze in some time with you in the day or the evening if the afternoon is too early for you.
As if he wasn’t already feeling completely disgusted with her, this was even more infuriating.Squeeze in some time for him?She may’ve pulled the rug out from under his dumb ass, but he’d die before he’d let on just how fast this little girl hadnearlybrought him to his knees. Without further thought, he hit reply and started tapping at his screen.
Nah, I’m good. I made plans with another friend. In fact, any plans with her always turn into an over-night thing. So, I’m covered for the rest of the weekend. Enjoy your family time.
He read it back once and sent it before he added any obscenities like the ones he was so tempted to. It was immature and he knew it but hey, if she had those kinds of friends, so could he, right?
Squeezing his phone a little tighter as the visuals of her with that dude continued to assault him, he was once again, grateful for his two nieces. If it weren’t for them, he would’ve already hit the call button and called Vannah out on her blatantbullshit. But he knew he’d get loud and ugly and he wasn’t about to do that in front of his sweet Littles.
He needed to hold it together. In all reality, even though Vannah was a girl whose connection he’d too suddenly felt so much more profound than withanyoneelse he’d ever met, she was still just another chick he’d only known for a week. So, what if his delusional ass had sorely misconstrued every one of their conversations this week, day and night being deeper than they’d really been? So, what if he’d never texted a girl and hung on her every responseallfucking day and night, like a twelve-year-old for a straight week? He knew better now. He was just another one of herfriends, like the ones she’d had no qualms about admitting she had and sashayed around with so openly. Only question now was why the fuck would she lie about it? If she really felt like she owed him nothing, why not just admit she’d so easily found a replacement for their cancelled lunch date?
Managing to get through his time with his nieces he got them home to their mother Ali who was now peering at him strangely as she lay on the sofa across from him. “Everything okay with you?”
It was the second time she’d asked something similar because like with the girls earlier, he’d lost focus of what they were talking about—more than once—in the short time he’d been there.
He kept fidgeting with his phone looking down at it often. Curiously, it’d remained silent since he’d sent that last text to Vannah.
“Yeah, yeah,” he said nodding and trying to play it off sticking his phone back in his pocket. “I just have a couple of big projects going on at work that my mind keeps wandering too.”
There was no way he was sharing about the girl he’d been obsessing over for weeks. A girl he’d kissed then made out withonetime, kept him glued to his phone all week and now he was on the verge of aragingjealous fit. He was almost afraid of what he’d do once he was free to roar in the privacy of his own car or apartment.
“You can go if you want, Byron. The girls are fed, thanks to you and they can sit and watch TV until their dad gets home. You don’t need to stick around until he gets here, if you got stuff you need to get back to.”
“He didn’t eat any of his food,” Elsa announced before he could respond, and Lucy nodded adamantly.
Ali’s brows furrowed. “You’re not coming down with something are you?
“No. I’m fine.” He stood up feigning a genuine smirk as he glanced at Elsa. “Don’t be ratting me out, Elsi.” She giggled when he winked at her then he turned back to Ali. “I’d just eaten before I picked them up. Only ordered myself something out of habit but I was stuffed. In fact—” He pointed at her as he started toward the door. “—have you eaten?”
Ali started to shake her head, but her eyes went wide in protest. So, before she could, he rushed to the door pissed that he hadn’t thought of calling ahead and asking her if she wanted him to bring something. He’d just been so riled he wasn’t thinking straight. Still wasn’t. But this worked out. “Girls packed up mysopesreal nice. I’m not gonna eat them. You can have them. If not, givem’ to Beast when he gets home. I’m sure he’ll wolf them down as an appetizer.”
Hurrying down the pathway outside to his car, he held in the impending roar he knew he’d be letting out sooner or later. Normally he wouldn’t take Ali up on her offer to let him go before Beast got there. But today he was going to. As pissed as it made him that Vannah, a girl he knew for just a week and hadn’t even slept with yet could do all this to him, he needed to get out of there. He felt ready to blow, and they’d all picked up on it. Even little Lucy.
