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“Because he’s my friend and he’d have guessed anyway,” he explains, almost as if the tone of my voice is a surprise to him. How else am I supposed to ask a question like that but curtly?
“We had a deal.” The words fall out of my mouth faster than I can process them.
“A deal?” How dare he sound confused!
“An agreement,” I snap. “You know what I mean. How am I supposed to keep seeing you when I can’t trust you?”
He gives me a curious look. “It’s just Verog, Melody.” He backs up a little, giving me some space. Good, my cold stare is working then. “He already knew I liked you.”
“That’s different than knowing we were sleeping together,” I huff.
“Were?”
“What happened in my office was the work of someone very upset at me. Greedy for my affection and envious toward anyone who has it.”
My unsaid accusation hits Jaromir, and his eyes widen. “Verog is no stalker.”
“I hope not, but you still lied to me. I’m ending our…” My words trail off. “This whatever.”
“But –”
“I need to know the person I’m with keeps his promises, especially when he’s from out of town,” I explain.
“You’re making a mistake.” His voice is ice as he turns and heads to his car.
“I don’t think so.”
“Well, I’m not leaving,” he says. “You can dump me all you want, but you’re safer with me here.” I watch him walk to his car and plop into the passenger seat. I’m too angry to argue.
25
JAROMIR
The rhythmic tapping against the cold driver’s side window jolts me awake, and I flinch as an onslaught of unwanted memories stabs me all at once. My body aches, and my head’s on the verge of exploding. I’ve spent enough nights with my back pressed against a punishing metal seat belt to know where I am immediately.
A car. My car, which I’d normally call a win if it weren’t also currently parked in Melody’s driveway. I grit my teeth and swallow, knowing full well today’s going to be hard. And not from a night of drinking. Oh no… a night ofnotdrinking.
Another collection of knocks on my window tells me the kids are all too eager to get my attention. I buy some time and pretend to rub the crusties out of my eyes.
I can’t help but feel like their aunt dropped a bomb last night and just left. I’m dying to ask them — but of course, I won’t — just what Melody says about me when I’m not around. Have they ever met a guy she’s been seeing?
Is this how she normally fights in relationships? Does she always accuse innocent orcs of deranged behavior, then dump the most innocent orc of them all without another word? Who does that?
More knocks tell me my time is up, and I blink my eyes open and mentally prepare for the conversation ahead.Don’t let on you’re sad. Don’t let on there’s a problem.
“Jaromir, we have breakfast,” Ryan informs me through the glass.
I wave. “Top of the mornin’ to ya.”
The smile I give Tina, holding a paper plate stacked with goodies, is genuine as I roll down the window. The savory aroma of mini croissants and salty bacon doesn’t hurt either. I have no idea how hungry I am until she hands it to me.
But then again, staying up all night to protect a girl who loathes you, plus getting dumped for practically no reason beforehand, is tiring work. I don’t care who you are. Even the honeydew slices look good. And I normally treat them like the flavorless nothings they are, avoiding them like a public drinking fountain.
“The honeydew is organic,” Tina tells me as my eyes peruse the house.
I wonder if Melody’s aware I’m still here. She’s got to be oblivious to Ryan and Tina’s current whereabouts.
“Aunt Melody picked it out herself,” Ryan explains. “She let me cut it up.”
