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"Hey!" I'm greeted from the living room.
Relief floods through me as I walk in. My four housemates are watching some movie with popcorn and beer.
"You're back early." Natalie extends her long brown legs over the battered armchairs, stretching like a cat. "Weren't you going out with your man?"
“Yeah, I did. I wasn’t feeling great, so I came back early.” I don’t know why I feel a little defensive when I justify myself.
Pauline sighs dramatically. “No overnighter for Trent. Again.”
“Poor guy,” Harper chimes in. “It’s been, like, almost a month.”
“Some women have a three-date rule, then you have Morgan and her three weeks plus.” Toni snorts. "You're such a prude."
It must be pick-on-Morgan Tuesday. I know not to take it personally, I definitely joined in when we ganged up on Toni over her use of garlic.
She puts iteverywhere.
“And here I was going to share some pizza, but none of you bitches deserve it.”
Natalie flaps her legs off their perch and rushes to my side. "Ooooh, gimme!"
I laugh, relinquishing the box.
It's rare that all five of us end up together, but it's nice. Harper, Natalie, and Toni embraced me when Pauline introduced us.
I join them in the crowded living room, sitting on the carpet with my back against the sofa—which is arguably more comfortable than Pauline's furniture.
I've never seen the chick flick they picked tonight, but it's basic enough for me to catch on to the simplistic plot, though I missed half an hour.
I find that I can eat just fine with the girls distracting me, though Camden Hunt stays at the periphery of my mind.
The nerve of him! How could he possibly think I'd accept his outrageous suggestion? At least, I made my position painfully—for him—obvious. He'll leave me alone now.
Right?
ChapterSeventeen
"You gotta be kidding me."
Camden's golden amber eyes flash as his gaze travels the length of my bare legs, taking me in slowly, intimately. His attention lingers on my shorts, the inch of bare flesh where my T-shirt is tied at my waist, and the tray in my hand. He takes his time, wordlessly staring intensely.He bites his lower lip and I turn on my feet.
I don’t need to deal with him. Not today.
Of course, Camden doesn’t get the memo. He follows after me. “All right. You can keep the job. I'm loving the sexy waitress vibe."
“Oh, suck a dick, Camden.”
I'm not as shocked to see him as I was Tuesday.
In fact, given my lack of panic or palpitations, I have to say I'm not surprised at all—part of me expected this and prepared for it mentally. I was lying to myself when I pretended to believe it was over.Camden Hunt isn’t the kind of man who just accepts he’s not getting what he wants. If he came all this way, he’s not about to give up just because I made my lack of interest clear. What I want has never mattered to him. The spoiled asshole is too used to getting his way to care about anyone else’s free will.
"Is that how you greet your patrons in this café?" he teases, tailing my heels as I take three empty glasses to the counter.
Damn him. Iamat work, in public, and I need this job. It wouldn’t fly if the manager, Ben, saw me treat a guy like shit.
Besides, for the very same reason, Camden can’t do anything to me here—other than annoy the fuck out of me. I’m safe.
I close my eyes and count to three to attempt to tame the anger bubbling under the surface. Then I plaster on my best smile. “I’m afraid we're full, sir.”
