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Ugh, what does he want? I really don’t want to deal with him. “Ben, get out of my way.”
“I just want to talk, sweetheart. Please.”
“Don’t call me that.”
His fingers twitch like he’s trying to hold himself back from reaching out, which doesn’t necessarily make me feel better about this whole situation. Now that I’m looking at him, really looking at him, it’s also impossible to miss the dark circles or the weird expression in his eyes. What the hell happened to him?
“Like I told you in my text messages before, I wanted to apologize for what happened. I made a mistake last year, and I want to fix it. Please give me a chance to fix things, Harper.”
Has he always been this delusional? It’s like I’m staring at a stranger without a single ounce of emotion in my body, at least nothing positive.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t want anything to do with you, Ben. Things are over, and there’s nothing you can do to change my mind.” I take a deep breath, some of the tightness in my chest easing up. “And please stop sending me anything. I don’t want any text messages or gifts from you.”
“But I—”
“Harper, everything okay over here?”
I snap my head up and gaze past Ben to where Ryan is slowly making his way down the hallway. Why is no one else back here by the way? Figures that no one needs to pee when I could use a distraction to get me out of this mess. Anyone but Ryan. He was the last person I wanted to involve in anything Ben-related. That was the reason I didn’t tell him about the text messages either. I don’t want to mix that part of my past with my present and future.
I glance at Ryan and try to smile. “Yup, I was just leaving.”
While keeping my gaze on Ryan, I try to keep as far left as possible, but Ben doesn’t make it that easy. He doesn’t fully block me again, but he takes a small step to the side that’s enough to keep me from passing easily once more. He’s really annoying the shit out of me.
This time, Ryan comes over until he’s right behind Ben, breathing down his neck like an irritated bull. “Excuse me, you’re blocking my girlfriend’s way.”
Ben’s eyes widen, and he slowly looks over his shoulder. After getting a glimpse of Ryan, he turns all the way and steps back.
Yeah, that’s right. Fear my . . . boyfriend. I shouldn’t feel this excited about labels, but I am. Sue me.
Naturally, I shouldn’t have spoken too early.
Ben lifts a finger and points it at Ryan. “Aren’t you Ryan Monroe?”
My alarm bells go off, getting louder and louder in my head with each passing second while my gaze bounces back and forth between Ryan’s irritated look and Ben’s confused one.
Ben turns back to me and opens his mouth. “You’re dating one of your dad’s swimmers?”
Everything has slowed down around me, and for some reason, my vocal cords aren’t working. My throat is as dry as a desert, but no matter how many times I swallow, it doesn’t get any better.
No, no, no, no, nooooo. This cannot be happening. Why does this jerk have to know who Ryan is? Is he seriously still keeping up with my dad’s work?
Ryan takes a step closer, and Ben finally makes some more room.
“Harper, what’s he talking about?”
Ben snorts next to us. “He doesn’t know he’s dating his coach’s daughter?”
I send Ben a scathing stare. “Ben, shut . . . up.”
Ryan’s face goes completely slack for a moment before his jaw muscles work overtime. “You’re Coach Martin’s daughter?”
I blink and nod but don’t look away. I can’t. I’m afraid if I do, he’ll disappear and I’ll never see him again.
His gaze is on me, and me only. How on earth he can ignore Ben beside us is beyond me. I want to throat-punch him even more now than before. Maybe even kick him in the balls for good measure.
What a total asshat. Thank goodness he was stupid enough last year to want a divorce. Otherwise, I might have continued to live with him under the grand illusion I was actually happy with him.
But he’s not important. Only one person is.
