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What the hell?
Maliki tenses when Devin meets us at the bar.
My kinda, sorta boyfriend slings an arm over my shoulders and kisses my cheek. “Hey, babe.”
Devin looks like he came straight from the office—sporting khaki slacks, a white button-up shirt, and chestnut-colored Sperry slide-ons. Ever since he graduated and moved home, he comes around more.
The two men I’m attracted to couldn’t be more opposite.
I cringe and force a smile. Devin’s kiss isn’t what has upset me. It’swhyhe kissed me, acting as if I were his possession. It’s a reminder to Maliki that I’m not his.
Last night, Devin emailed links of possible condos to look at, and his father offered me an interior design position at his building firm, to which I accepted.
My breathing accelerates, and I grow more flustered by the second.
How rude would it be to shrug him off?
“What are you doing here?” I ask.
He tugs me closer, giving me a tight squeeze, and feigns ignorance that Maliki is here. “Corbin said you and Ellie were here. I had a break in my schedule and wanted to surprise you.” His hand creeps to my waist. “I’ve missed you, and I needed to see your gorgeous face.Plus,I found a condo you’ll love.”
This is when I jerk away from him. He knows I can’t move in with him, but again,Maliki.
After my twenty-first, Devin questioned me about Maliki for weeks—asking how I knew him, if I had a thing for him, if we’d ever hooked up, if I was into older men. He accused me of flirting with Maliki, but I never entertained the conversation. Devin and I weren’t in a committed relationship then.
I grind my teeth and twist in my stool. “We’ve had this discussion.”
Maliki snatches my half-empty glass from the bar and walks away, shaking his head in irritation.
Devin grins at the loss of Maliki. “Sorry, I needed to clear the air, so we could enjoy our night.”
“I wasn’t aware Ellie invited you,” I mutter.
“She invited Corbin, who then called me.” He shoots me an accusatory look for my lack of invite to him.
Corbin is Devin’s cousin and Ellie’s new boyfriend. I fixed them up after she broke up with Leo.
Devin captures my hand, and I hop off the stool, allowing him to lead me to Ellie and Louis’s table, wishing I could return to my stool and stay with Maliki.
Maliki is glaring at us when I turn around, and me mouthing,I’m sorry, to him further pisses him off.
He turns his back to me, wanders over to a woman, and talks to her for the rest of the night. He doesn’t look at me again the entire night, and it infuriates me.
I fake interest in conversations but have no clue what anyone has said. The drink Devin brought me earlier—one he’d ordered from Maliki and complained he was an asshole to him while doing so—is half-full and watered down. For the first time, I’m relieved when Devin asks if I’m ready to leave Down Home Pub.
Devin walks me outside and kisses me good night, and we walk to our cars. Instead of leaving as he does, I slump down in my seat.
I’ll stick around and reflect for a moment.
Settle down from the anxiety of the night.
Screw Devin for pulling a power move like that.
It’s nearing last call, and I question my sanity as I watch each minute tick by. When the time hits one fifty-five and I notice people leaving, I wander back into the bar, fear surging through me.
Stupid, stupid girl.
Maliki sets down the bottle in his hand and stares at me in question. “Did you forget something?”
