Page 5 of The Breakup

“No problem. Where’s your phone?”

“What?” I pushed my ratty hair back off my face, wincing when I saw the two jagged nails where I had yanked my acrylics off in a drunken fit of irritation when they prevented me from easily texting. “It’s in my pocket.”

“Let me see it.”

By nature, I’m an obedient person. Plus I wanted to appease him to get rid of him. I pulled out my phone and handed it over, wondering where the hell my sister was.

He held it up in front of my face to unlock it. I started to feel alarmed. “What are you doing?”

“Giving you my number. If you need a favor in return, let me know.” He stared at me, his gaze intense.

He had pale blue eyes that were downright hypnotizing. “Sure,” I said, with zero intention whatsoever of doing anything other than deleting his number the second he left. Christian was trouble and I apparently already had plenty of that in my life. “Thanks.”

I reached out and snatched my phone from his hands and gave him a wan smile.

“Text me so I have your number,” he said.

Glancing over to the door leading to the family room, I willed my sister to appear. I did not want to give him my number. “That’s not a good idea. I’m engaged. To be married.”

The corner of his mouth turned up. “I am aware of that fact.” He took my phone for the second time.

I gasped. “Hey!” Enough was enough. I stood up. He stood up too, and he had a substantial height advantage on me. I swallowed hard. “Give me my phone back.” I sounded like a prissy princess. I almost winced. But having someone picking through my phone was like a finger in my ass. I didn’t say you could go there. You had to ask first, and I would most likely say no.

“If you stomp your foot I’m going to laugh, I’m sorry,” he said. He looked amused. “I just am.”

He was really kind of a bossy jerk. “Can we just call ourselves even and go back to being casual strangers? I think that would be best.” I crammed the money he had given me into the pocket of my joggers. I held out my hand for my phone, afraid if I tried to grab it he would pull it back like we were in middle school. I had been terrible at those games with boys. I was notoriously gullible.

“Whatever you want, princess.” He handed me my phone back and gave me a smile. “Walk me out so I don’t get lost in this massive house.”

I didn’t want to do anything other than fall asleep for ten hours and wake up back to the real me instead of this hungover hell, but if I had to walk fifty steps to get rid of the sexy and annoying Christian Jordan, I would. “Right this way,” I said, sounding like a demented spa employee. I even gestured by arching my arm out.

Sophie was in the kitchen pouring herself lemonade and I shot her a dirty look, which she pretended not to understand. Sometimes she played the socially awkward card too often. I was on to her more than our mother was, who believed all of Sophie’s manipulations. I was in the middle of a crisis and she was pouring lemonade? What the hell?

Unfortunately, when I opened the front door, Bradley and my dad were coming up the front walk right toward the house. I stepped out, Christian right on my heels.

Bradley frowned.

A glance over at Christian showed he was grinning.

My father looked confused.

And I wanted to throw up again.

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