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“I hope you don’t mind some company, sweet cheeks.” I look up with disgust as Nathan plops down across from me.
“I do, actually. What are you doing here?”
“Aww, don’t be like that, dollface. I just want to visit with you,” he says, his weasel-like smirk in place.
“A smarter man would take a hint and stay the hell away when it’s obvious he’s not wanted around,” I snap.
His eyes narrow, but he leans back and gives me a wide grin. The waitress comes up and Nathan orders a drink before I can tell the woman he won’t be staying long.
“I’ve missed you, McKenzie,” he says, reaching across the table and grabbing my hand before I can yank it away.
“I don’t know why you decided to appear in my life again, Nathan. But you were the worst mistake I ever made,” I say. “And that’s saying a lot, since I’ve made alotof mistakes. I don’t want to be anywhere near you. I don’t want you around. If you can’t take my second hint and disappear, I guess the law will help you. Will the third time be the charm?” I tug against his hold, but I’m reluctant to cause a scene in the bistro, and he must be well aware of this.
“I screwed up when we were younger. But we all make mistakes, McKenzie, and I think we can be good together now that we’re both older and wiser.” Bile rises in my throat when he caresses the top of my hand with his thumb.
“Are you listening to yourself? You drugged me and let a man rape me. That’s not screwing up. That’s assault,” I tell him. What a worthless excuse for a human being. I’m thunderstruck at how he can rewrite history.
“Look, I’m nearly broke, and I have nothing and nowhere to go. You’ve done well for yourself...” He finally releases my hand and shrugs.
“Yes, I’ve done well, in spite of the way you treated me, of what you did to me, and what more you planned on doing to me. I feel nothing but utter contempt for you — isn’t that obvious? And I don’t want to have anything to do with you ever again. Leave me alone, leave this city if you have any sense, and stay the hell away from me.”
“You’re such a hypocritical bitch. Yeah, I may have drugged you that first time, but you sure snatched up the money quick and spent it on who knows what,” he says, his voice quiet but fierce.
“I did take the money, and I did run, to get as far from you as possible. I don’t care what you do withyourlife, Nathan. I don’t care if you rot in the streets. You’ll never again take advantage of me, and you won’t threaten or blackmail me. Our time is done. If I see you again after today, I’ll simply call the cops. As you damn well know, I’ve done it before.”
I’ve played the victim, and felt like one, for far too long. This man is too weak to be a true threat. And I’ve somehow gained the strength to see that now, and to forget my earlier fear.
I look him in the eyes to show him I won’t back down. I can’t. Men like Nathan need a weak woman to survive; they need easy prey to feast upon. I’m no longer vulnerable. And now that he’s lost his power over me, he’ll cower before me and run away with his tail tucked between his legs.
And as I expected, he slumps against the seat, defeat on his face. “You owe me,” he mutters.
“I owe younothing,” I reply. “Now get out of my sight, once and for all.”
I have nothing but contempt for this man. When he doesn’t immediately move, I pull out my phone. After the incident at my house, I have a restraining order on the man. And he isn’t too out of it yet to have forgotten.
When he sees me scroll down my contact list and start dialing the police he immediately gets up from the table. “Fine, I’m going,” he says, his voice almost a wail.
“And don’t come back.” He nods and walks away.
I lean back after he leaves. My life’s far from perfect, but I know this is the last time I’ll see him. He’s weak and pathetic, and when I show him some real backbone, it’s obvious the scumbag will disappear from my life forever.
If only I could show so much backbone with Byron. If only I could tell him I want to be with him, and could make him believe that he wants to be with me for more than a few quickies. But that isn’t going to happen. It’s over between us, and the sooner I accept this, the quicker I’ll be able to heal.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Byron
I watch McKenzie leave her business, and before I can call out to her, she’s around the corner. I follow, planning to talk to her, and notice she’s entering the small restaurant and bar where I ate with her and Jewell. I’m close behind, but my plans are thwarted when I run into Tyler just inside the door.
“What in the world are you doinghere?” my brother asks. “This isn’t your typical kind of place.”
“I’m meeting someone,” I reply, watching McKenzie seat herself at the same table where I joined her and my sister-in-law.
“Well, have a drink with your little brother first. I haven’t seen you in a couple of weeks,” Tyler says.
“I don’t have time right now.”
“You don’t have time for your little brother?” Tyler raises an eyebrow.
