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Her hands cup my face. “I’m not sure I’ve ever wanted anything…or anyone…more than you Joel. I know this might only be one night—”
“No.” I can’t let her diminish what this is. I shake my head. “I told you that I want you now and two years from now. Hell, a hundred years from now, and I mean it. Delia, Irememberyou. I tried to flirt with you back then. I tried to help you see that I was interested.”
“Like you were interested in every other girl?”
“No, you were different. I remember telling my mom about you. Talking about how you were so strong and so take charge. You reminded me of her in lots of ways.”
“Ewww. I know your mom, she comes into the store a lot. Loves her garden. She invited me over to see it. Gorgeous.”
Mom’s been in the store before? That’s weird, she said she’d only been in once or twice.
“She does love her flowers. But the point is, I’ve thought about you. If I’d have known you were right here under my nose, I wouldn’t have waited. Those eyes, they’ve lived in my dreams.”
“You aren’t real. You can’t be.” Her disbelief stabs me. “No man is this perfect.”
“I’m not perfect. I’m just who I am, and I’ve learned to be humble. But the monster you had in your life before me, makes you believe that men like me aren’t real. They…we…exist. I’m real and I’m really into you.”
Slow clapping starts from my right and her body stiffens under mine.
“Wow. Now that’s a bro speech. I’ve never had to work that hard to get a woman into my bed.”
I turn my head and quickly move to shield her. “And what business is it of yours what I’m saying?”
It’s the same man as earlier today. And I can feel her shaking behind me. Her head presses into my shoulder blade and her fingers dig into the waistband of my jeans, holding me in front of her.
“You’re right, she’s no business of mine. But hey, just so you know, she’s got issues and I’d steer clear if I were you.”
“I don’t take advice from assholes and you smell like bullshit.” I start moving toward him and feel Delia reaching for me to hold me there, but I know his kind. I lost underwear to his kind. He won’t stop.
“Okay, bro, but just for the record, she’s crap in bed and can’t have kids, so she’s probably only good for one—”
I don’t let him finish. My fist hits his jawline, and he goes down. Figures, a glass jaw. One good one is all it takes.
I shake my hand. “Fuck.”
“Joel?! Are you okay?”
Pins and needles radiate through, but soon it’s just numb. Nothing broken, just reminding me why I don’t fight.
“I’m okay, sweetheart. Are you okay?”
“You shouldn’t have done that.”
“Yes, I should have.”
She sighs. “I need to do something.”
“Okay, do you want help?”
She pulls out her phone and dials. “Just stand here.” She opens a text and sends a video and I see the person’s name.
Oh shit.
Then she finds the number to call. Her finger shakes as it hits the dial button and then puts it on speaker.
“Hey muffin, how are—”
“Dad, stop. I’m not okay.”
