Page 47 of Should Have Been Me

“So that’s still happening?” Barrett asked.

I wasn’t sure, not after how the night before ended, but Barrett didn’t need to know that. “I really don’t see how that’s any of your business.”

“Come on, JoJo, don’t be like that,” he said beseechingly, the sweetness he infused into his tone setting my teeth on edge. “Just because we aren’t together anymore doesn’t mean I stopped caring about you. You were important to me. You are important.” A few months ago—hell, only a few weeks—those words would have sliced me open like a hot knife cutting through butter. But all I felt was... annoyed. I didn’t miss this man anymore. I didn’t want him back or mourn our relationship. I just wanted him to stop taking up my time with hollow words and lies that didn’t mean anything.

“I’m only looking out for you. He’s not a good guy, Jo.”

A stupefied laugh bubbled up my throat. “Oh my God,” I said on a manic giggle. “And, what? You think you are? I knew you were an asshole, Barrett, but I didn’t think you were delusional.”

His face grew red as he huffed out an affronted breath. “This guy... there’s something not right about him. I can’t stand the thought of you getting hurt.”

I couldn’t stop laughing. The hypocrisy was too much. “Really? That’s funny.” I had to wait until my chuckles died down to pull in a breath. “Because you didn’t seem to mind all that much about hurting me when you broke off our engagement for your new fiancée.” I held up my hand to stop him when he started to argue. “And don’t bother saying you didn’t get involved with her until after we were over, because we both know that’s a lie. At least do me the courtesy of being honest, for Christ’s sake.”

“Jolie, I’m sorry?—”

I shook my head to stop him. “I don’t care. I really and truly mean that, Barrett. I. Don’t. Care. Not about you. Not about Leighton. And certainly not about your relationship. For all I care, the two of you can ride off into the sunset together and spend the rest of your lives making each other miserable. But what I won’t tolerate is you sitting here and saying things about a man you don’t know. There is nothing wrong with Vaughn. What is wrong is the fact that you thought you had the right to come to me and talk about him behind his back under the pretense of caring.”

“I do care, Jolie. If I could go back?—”

“Don’t finish that sentence.”

At that deep, menacing rumble, my head shot up just as my door was thrown all the way open, revealing Vaughn on the other side with an expression like a thunderstorm that was about to crack right open.

“Vaughn? What-what are you doing here?”

When his eyes came to mine, the thunderclouds in them cleared a fraction, and I could have sworn his granite features softened a bit, but that very well could have been the hopeless romantic in me. I might as well have been every nerdy girl in an 80’s high school romance movie, wishing the most popular boy in school rushes into the crowded cafeteria to declare in front of everybody that he’s crazy in love with me. However, when he shifted his focus back to my ex, a shiver went down my spine at the venom in his gaze.

“Is there a reason for you to be in my girlfriend’s office right now, Brutus?”

I stifled a laugh as my ex’s jaw began to tick. “It’s Barrett.” Something told me Vaughn really didn’t give a shit. “And before she was your girlfriend, she was mine. And we were together a whole hell of a lot longer.”

Oh shit. From the way Vaughn’s nostrils flared, I knew that was the wrong thing for Barrett to say. “Time for you to go. You said all there was to say to her when you ended it. She doesn’t owe you another goddamn second.”

Barrett whipped around to me, eyes wide, jaw hanging open. “Seriously, JoJo? This guy?”

I opened my mouth, but couldn’t get a word in edgewise between these two. “What the hell did I tell you about speaking to her? Get out before I forcibly remove you.”

Barrett blustered, his face growing an unnatural shade of maroon. “That’s not—this isn’t—what Jolie and I have to talk about isn’t any of your business?—”

Vaughn moved deeper into the office, the energy radiating off him screaming louder than a warning siren. My office suddenly felt half the size it had been a moment ago. “See, that’s where you’re mistaken. Considering the fact I was buried deeper inside her than any man has ever been less than twenty-four hours ago, everything that has to do with her is my business.”

I pulled in a broken gasp at the same time my thighs clenched together against the sharp ache that had suddenly formed there.

“And seeing as it was my cock she was coming around and my name she was screaming loud enough to be heard down in the valley, it absolutely is my business. She’s mine, Bruno. You were stupid enough to let her go, now I think everyone in this building would agree I’m much smarter than you.”

“I agree!” Tarryn’s disembodied voice called from the hallway, followed closely by Ryan’s “Shh!” and a noise that sounded an awful lot like she’d just smacked Tarryn in the arm.

“You shh! And stop hitting me, you jerk.”

Oh my God. How in the hell was it possible that this whole scene was hilarious and sexy and mind-boggling all at the same time? That tick in my eyelid was getting so much worse. “That’s it. This is over. Barrett, it’s time for you to go.”

He stood from his seat and brushed at the front of his slacks, the look on his face telling me he wasn’t happy about being forced out.

“We’ll talk later, when we have some privacy. This isn’t over.”

“That’s where you’re wrong, Barrett. This is very over. From here on out, I don’t want to speak or see you, unless it directly involves the wedding my partners and I are being paid to assist with.”

Realizing there wasn’t a chance he was going to win, he turned on his heel and headed for the door, slowing only as he waited for Vaughn to move out of the way, which Vaughn did after issuing one last, “Bye, Beelzebub.”

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