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I noticed that despite his bluster he wouldn’t make eye contact with me. Cowardly bully behavior. Why wasn’t she standing up to him? I had seen with my own eyes that she was fearless. I didn’t like this at all and my fist curled. One quick punch and it’d be over.
What was I thinking? I didn’t come here to get entangled in a dysfunctional relationship. The chagrin I felt that Laurel was part of a dysfunctional relationship got pushed to the side. I needed to get off this crazy train before it took me too far. I should have felt grateful this jackass derailed it before anything happened between us, but the fact I didn’t get to taste her soft lips wouldn’t let me.
“It’s fine,” she repeated for the jackass’s benefit. “He paid me back.”
She gave me another apologetic look and eased around me. I knew she meant the dinner I’d cooked for her, but I didn’t want it to come up if I happened to be unlucky enough to see her around again. I clearly couldn’t be trusted around her, so the best course of action would be to stay far away.
“Hold on,” I said tersely. I glared at her boyfriend, who puffed himself up while simultaneously taking a step backwards. God, I really wished he would try something.
I grabbed her clothes out of the dryer and stuffed them into a laundry bag that hung on a hook. They were still damp, but that wasn’t my problem. I pushed the bag into her arms along with the twenty I owed her. She hugged the bag to her chest and tried to refuse the cash, but I took her hand and folded it over the bill. This had to be over.
“I’ll get changed real quick and give you back your robe,” she said.
“I don’t care about the robe,” I told her, already turning away.
“Come on,” the guy growled, finally grabbing her wrist and pulling her out the door.
Every fiber in my body wanted to deck him, but I’d seen what she was capable of when she thought she needed to defend herself. She clearly wanted to go with this guy. She’d obviously called him to come get her. Then proceeded to cozy up to me. Probably thinking she’d get what she wanted if she kept chiseling away at my resolve. I’d almost fallen for it. Hell, I’d have my tongue in her mouth and my hands all over her if the Neanderthal hadn’t showed up, but I was going to pretend otherwise for my pride.
I thudded back onto the couch, looking out at the storm and trying to calm down. No matter how many deep breaths I took or reasons I gave myself to be grateful I’d gotten out before I was in too deep, I couldn’t get her out of my mind. And try as I might, I couldn’t stay pissed at her.
Why would someone as vibrant, funny, and beautiful as Laurel be with such a douchebag? Small town pickings? She didn’t seem to have self-esteem issues from what I could tell. It pissed me off if she did, because she was incredible. Her looks rivaled the stunning views all around here and her quick, teasing way lit me up as much as her sexy body. She made me laugh for God’s sake, a feat that hadn’t been achieved by anyone or anything since the accident.
She deserved a better man than him. But who? Me? Did I suddenly think I was some great catch? I could barely leave my apartment, letting part of my dad’s legacy slowly rot from lack of care. I wasn’t good for anyone in my current state.
She is not the reason you came here, I reminded myself. And I still couldn’t get her off my mind.
“Fuck!” I yelled, heading toward the shower.
Even blasting myself with all three jets and then forcing myself to read before I turned off the light didn’t help. I knew I needed a good night’s sleep so I could think more clearly, but sleep didn’t want to have anything to do with me. I finally drifted off around dawn, Laurel still firmly wedged in my thoughts.
