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He’s standing a few feet away from us, a nasty grin on his face, holding a huge bouquet of flowers. Clearly up to nofuckinggood.
“Hey, mate.” Reda walks up to Barrett, hand stretched out.
Barrett rises from his seat and shakes the offered hand with a suspicious glance at the stranger facing him.
Reda pulls a chair and sits at our table, dropping the flowers in front of me.
“These are for you, love,” he says.
I stiffen in my chair and turn to Barrett to see his alarmed eyes bounce between Reda and I. I have nofuckingclue what to do.
“I’m guessing you know who I am,” Reda taunts Barrett with a smirk.
“No, man. I don’t know you.”
“Reda?” He questions.
Barrett shakes his head, lips pinched, brow furrowed, and I can see a muscle jump in his cheek as his temper rises.Fuck!
“I’m the ex,” the goddamn scumbag introduces himself.
When Barrett doesn’t respond, just sitting there, burning a hole into Reda’s face, the arrogant pig adds, “we dated for almost a year. I was about to introduce her to my parents. I’d be careful if I were you, man. She has no clue what she wants.”’
Still complete silence from Barrett, and I’m too shocked to utter a word.
“Did she tell you we’ve been talking again since Christmas?”
“You need to leave,” Barrett growls.
And Reda laughs… themotherfucker fuckinglaughs! Does he not see how furious my man is? How his hands are balling into fists, his feet frantically tapping the pavement? Face rigid as granite…This guy must be suicidal!Barrett is clearly taller and much bigger then Reda.
“Mate,” Barrett spits out in an absolutely unfriendly tone, “you can leave now, or I’ll make you.”
Reda chuckles maniacally, but when Barrett stands to his full stature, his face scrunches up in a nasty snarl and he pushes his chair back abruptly.
“Fine, I’ll leave. You can have my leftovers.” He lifts his chin in my direction on that last word.
Barrett grabs the flowers from the table, fists Reda’s collar and throws him on the ground. Then, he comes to stand right above to the slime, the points of his Italian loafers close to Reda’s heaving chest.
“We never see or hear from you again, yeah?”
When Reda doesn’t respond, too busy scrambling back to his feet and arranging his clothes, Barrett advances on him and asks again, low and menacing, “did you fucking hear me?”
Face pinched and red, hair a mess, and altogether looking pathetic, Reda stares at Barrett for a beat before accepting his defeat and nodding once. Then, he turns on his heels and walks away as fast as his jerky steps allow. I can’t fathom what I ever saw in him.
When my eyes come back to Barrett, I flinch when I take in the mask of cold fury they encounter. I stand from my chair, extending a hand and start in an appeasing voice, “Barrett…”
He interrupts me with a curt, “not here,” and throws a wad of bills on the table.
I shoulder my purse and start speed-walking in the direction of my place, head bent to hide my tear-streaked face.Shit, what have I done?
Barrett’s steps resonate on the pavement, at a slight distance from me. From my peripheral vision, I can discern his tall, strong form, hands stuffed in his pockets, body rigid. I just don’t know if it’s with anger, disappointment, or hurt… Probably all of it.How could I have been so goddamn stupid?
I’m surprised when Barrett doesn’t bid me farewell at my door, but silently follows me inside. The air is heavily charged with tension, and we still haven’t looked at each other.
Once the door’s unlocked, I gather a strengthening breath and turn to face him, blurting out, “I can explain.”
Eyes drowned in sadness, he replies, “you should have done that before.”
