AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He stared at me, tossing a can of dip in the air, as if I’d asked him what time it was. I batted the can away. It hit the linoleum floor with a thud and rolled under a rack of candy.
“Are you?”
Some part of me begged him to tell me it wasn’t true, that Mitch was mistaken. I pled with him in my head to say the kisses we’d shared by the pond meant as much to him as they did to me.
Instead, he stood there looking at me like I was stirring up a fuss for nothing.
I shoved at his chest. “Are you?”
He shrugged, exactly the same as when I’d suggested we be more than friends. “She’s pretty, wears a dress occasionally.”
The fissure in my heart cracked wide open. I thought—I thought we were having fun. I thought he liked me. Not once had he ever mentioned a dress or makeup was required to do that.
“That doesn’t answer my question,” I said through gritted teeth.
He smirked. “Yeah, it does.”
The pain that washed over me was consumed with rage. I grabbed the Icee I’d left by the machine, ripped off the dome lid, and tossed it in his face.
He spluttered, red liquid dripping down his face and shirt as I threw the empty cup at him. I opened my mouth for the last word, but for once, words didn’t come. The bell clanged over the door as I shoved it open. So help me God, I was never ever going to feel like this again.
The memory threatenedto take me under, but I held myself together.
“She is not a pawn. If you’ve got a problem with me, you deal with me.”
“See, that’s what I did.” He tugged on the brim of my baseball cap, and I knocked him away. “As heartless as you are, you actually do give a damn about your family.”
I stiffened at his closeness. My hands twitched at my sides, ready to strangle him. “You better not be saying what I think you’re saying.”
Easton stepped between us. “Is there a problem here?”
I looked around him at Bryce. “Nope. I’m going to fix him right up,” I said evenly.
“You just can’t get over the fact I didn’t want you. Still don’t.” He glanced at me like I was no more than dog shit on the bottom of his shoe.
“Funny, that’s not how I remember things,” I flung back. I wasn’t that hurt little girl anymore, and having Easton by my side gave me strength I didn’t realize I needed.
His expression turned from disgust to fury. “Your view of the world don’t mean it’s the right one.”
“Did you or did you not beg me?” I asked sweetly.
Easton stiffened, angling so I couldn’t get around him.
“It ain’t my fault nobody wanted to date you. From the looks of it, not much has changed.” He looked at my bare left hand in victory.
If he thought that was the way to rile me, he was wrong. That was no news flash.
“It’s time for you to go,” Easton said, his tone menacing.
“I don’t give a damn if your grandmother lives in this town, you aren’t from around here, so stay out of this.” Bryce widened his stance and slipped the can of dip in his back pocket.
“Can’t do that.” Easton didn’t seem fazed in the least by Bryce’s posturing.
“I took one for the team,” Bryce said, his attention returning to me.
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“When I kissed you, I did it because Mitch asked me to since nobody else would.”
