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“Prizedmare?” I snarl at Ruiz and pick up my knife without consciously thinking about it. “Leave my table now, and don’t come back.”
“I meant no offense,” he chuckles. “I don’t actually know who you are. But since you’re on a date withthisdude,” he points to Thomas, “and Feeney’s looking kinda caveman over here,” he tips his chin in Axel’s direction, “I thought I’d try to figure out what’s happening.” He glances to my date. “Doyou work in real estate? Because I could do with a contact.”
“No.” Thomas pushes to his feet, though his exit is blocked by two tree-peeing mongrel firefighters. “Hannah, would you like to leave? We can go somewhere a little more… private.”
“No.” I feel bad when his face falls and Axel’s brightens, but I look to the second and harden my stare. “You can leave. Don’t come back.”
His cheeks pale. “Han—”
“You have a guest,” I gesture to Ruiz, “and I have plans tonight that don’t involve you. In fact,” I flash a cruel grin and channel that speech I practiced a million times leading up to this weekend. “I have an entire life planned that no longer involves you. Friends treat friends with kindness and respect, and you seem to have lost the ability to express either. And if, for a hopeful moment, I could have wondered if you’d grown or changed in the last seven months, you’ve proven the contrary by your rude and presumptive behavior since interrupting this dinner you were not invited to.”
Yeah, Hannah! Let him have it.
“I hope you enjoy your time in town. I’m certain Nicole and June would love to see you for dinner tonight.”
“They would…” he answers slowly. Calculated. “Ruiz and I are here to pick up the food.”
“Excellent.” I point toward the hostess desk. “You may have forgotten, since you disappeared from our lives without warning or a single shit given to those who cared about you, past or present, but pickup is over there. Then the exit is,” I smile toward the heavy glass door. “Don’t let it hit you on the ass on the way out.”
“Oop.” Ruiz cackles into his hand and pushes up to stand, sliding his chair away before clapping Axel on the shoulder. “I’d say this roast is about done. Nice to meet you, Hannah. I’ve heard about you, of course. You…” he looks to Thomas and shakes his head. “I still have no fuckin’ clue who you are. But I sure hope you enjoy your evening with a beautiful woman. I know I’ll enjoy my dinner more, watching Feeney stew about this shit.” He turns on his heels to head to the hostess desk, reaching back to his wallet as he goes.
But Axel remains. Staring at me. A mixture of hurt, pride, pain, and longing…. and a million other emotions, flittering through his gaze.
But worst of all is the longing and pain and heartache that swirls inmystomach.
I got over him months ago.
I’ve moved on.
I’m sitting with a man who could very well be my forever.
Emotion lodges in my throat and threatens to choke me for every second Axel’s stare remains.
But I don’t cry, so there’s that.
“I’m happy to see you, Han.” Slowly, achingly sad, he pushes up to stand. But his eyes remain on me. “I’m back, and I just…” he lifts his shoulder in a shrug. “I’m sorry.”
“For calling me a whore?” I put him on blast, and stoke Thomas’ temper at this newfound information. “Or for calling me a nobody? Because I still, after all this time, can’t quite decide which slur was more offensive.”
“Hannah—”
“Are you of the same opinion?” I demand. My voice is strong, my tone unshaking—and hell, that’s about all I can hope for. “About your job. Danger. Me.” I lick my parched lips and hate how his eyes follow the movement. “All that stuff. Does your opinion remain the same?”
He nods, almost imperceptibly, as he swallows. “Not the whore stuff,” he rumbles. “And not the shitty things I said about your job. But the rest…” Another soft nod. “Yeah.”
“Then I hope to see you around.”
When his eyes lighten with optimism, I slide the dagger in. “Fromafar. Enjoy your time with your family, and if you come into the shop, I won’t spit in your cupcake. But have a nice life… without me in it.”
He brings a hand up to his heart, a wide, thick-fingered hand that makes my insides jump, and groans. “Hannah.”
“Go away, Axel. Leave me alone.”
“You should come back to the house with us. Catch up, eat some pizza.”
“Let’s go.” Ruiz stops at our table with a half dozen pizza boxes stacked in a tower. “Time to eat.”
“I’m staying here,” I tell him. “On my date.” And because Ruiz has never, technically, done anything to hurt me, I show him one of my kinder, realer smiles. “You look good. Healthy.”
