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A laugh bursts from my lips. “Okay, okay. Man, we weren’t very nice to each other.”
She nods, taking another bite. “You can say that again.” I allow her to eat while my mind goes back to our last few encounters as kids. Walking her home. Having an actual conversation with her without all the snarky jabs. Then. . . I remember her just being gone. “You know. I actually kind of missed you when you left.”
She lifts her head mid-bite and swallows, struggling to get her food down. “Doubt that. You weren’t nice to me when I was around. What could you have possibly missed?”
It’s my turn to shrug. “I don’t know. Maybe I missed our chats.”
She stifles a laugh, wiping her lips with her napkin. “I wouldn’t call any of our battling, chats.”
“Where’d you go?” It comes out before I realize what I’m asking. It’s none of my business.
Her hands lower, and she places the napkin on the table. “I went to live with my aunt.”
“Why?”Shut up, nosy asshole.
It’s like we’re kids again. I watch as that look returns. The scared little girl peeking through her armor. “It was for the best. Geez, didn’t peg you as a Nosy Nelly. How about you? Why areyouhome? Thought you’d be on billboards by now. Ruining SportsCenter for me with your face plastered all over it.”
Damn her and her subject changing. I lean back in my chair and take a sip of my water. “It’s a long story.”
She raises her hand to the server. “We’ll take another round of wontons. Thanks.” Her attention returns to me. “They take forever. Now we have time.” Her devious smirk is going to get her in trouble.
“Brat.”
“Yep. Spill.”
“I chose not to pursue football. That’s basically it.”
She raises her hand again. “Actually, can you add an order of fried rice and orange chicken? Slow cooked. Thanks.” She looks back at me. “Good thing you’re paying.”
I’m going to be paying for indecent exposure when I rip her out of her chair and sit her on my cock. Fuck, when did I become such a vulgar prick?When the most stunning woman came back into your life and flipped it upside down.
“You’re eating dinner with me now.”
“I love leftovers. I’m waiting.”
This girl.
“I went off to college. Chase and I. I’d been accepted with a partial scholarship to play football. Two and a half years in, my dad died.”
A soft gasp falls from her now sullen lips. “Oh, Ben.”
I hate telling this story. It’s like re-living it over and over again. “He was a firefighter. Died doing what he loved. My mom was a mess, and I couldn’t imagine her going through losing her husband alone. So, I left school. The university wouldn’t hold my place, and I lost my scholarship.” The school wouldn’t even allow me grievance leave. Some bullshit about small print and clauses. “I came home with the intentions of going back. But life took an unexpected turn, and instead, I joined the academy. One year later, I officially became a firefighter. End of story.”
Her neck bobs as she swallows, and tears well in her eyes. “I’m sorry to hear about your dad. I didn’t know.”
“It was a long time ago but thank you.”
She reaches across the table and threads her fingers through mine. “I bet he would be proud of you. The choices you’ve made. Life has a way of stripping us of our dreams, but I think there’s always a reason things happen.”
“And what dreams were taken from you?” I ask, needing answers.
The server picks the worst time to show up, juggling a ridiculous number of plates.
“Perfect timing,” Makayla chirps, setting her napkin back on her lap, dodging another question. She better hope she doesn’t have an extra pair of cuffs. It’s my turn to chain her up and get what I want out of her. Sadly, it’s all forgotten the second she takes a bite of her wonton, and a musical moan slips past her lips. My dick swells.
This fucking girl. . .
Chapter18
