Page 57 of Resisting the Grump

“Please go.”

“Can’t we stick with the plan?” I asked. “You still have to eat.”

Color burst across her cheeks and spread until her whole face was a burning tomato. “The plan was to go to dinner with someone who’s not a lying asshole.”

“That’s not fair.”

“What’s not fair is that you fooled me twice.”

“Avery.”

She pulled her front door open. “It’s not like you have far to go.”

“I had a stalker.”

She threw her eyes to the sky.

“Before my ex.”

The set of her jaw hardened.

“It’s part of the reason I move around a lot.”

She flicked her impatient fingers towards the hall.

“You don’t care.”

“Bingo,” she said. “And even if I did, how can I believe a word that comes out your mouth?”

“I’m not a liar,” I said, stepping into the hall. “I never said I don’t live next door.”

“Tell it to the cat.”

And then she slammed the door in my face.

T W E N T YN I N E

- Avery -

My mind was a mess of ugly questions and my body was… still squeezed in the stupid negligee that was supposed to be a nice surprise. For him. He was supposed to be surprised tonight. Not me. Not like this.

Which Oliver was even real? The one who gave me a leash? Or the one who laughed at my jokes and licked my…

It didn’t matter. I could never see him again.

If I had to have that stupid leash cast in bronze as a reminder, so be it.

It was remarkable really. I didn’t think there were any ways left that a man could make a fool out of me, and yet here I was. Dressed like a doll who was shocked she was being played with.

I thought of him next door, eating those cupcakes earlier today. He must’ve thought he was so clever. My stomach growled as I slunk towards the couch. Damn it. I’d really been looking forward to the spicy sweet potato fries at that steakhouse.

I snatched the cupcake he’d refused and took a big bite of it. Despite the fact that they really were one of my tastiest concoctions yet, there was nothing joyful about spitefully eating a cupcake meant for someone else. Even if that someone else was a jerk who’d betrayed you. How could he be my neighbor? What the actual?

I scoured the table in front of me to see if he’d scribbled anything with my generous selection of gel pens while he was out here. All I needed was a few letters to latch on to so I could compare them to the notes from the asshole next door, and… what? Confirm what he already told me? That he really was too good to be true? No. I was not the psycho here. Besides, he’d left no trace of his presence.

Except for the bad taste in my mouth.

I collapsed back on the couch with a groan. It was so unsatisfying to slam the door in someone’s face knowing they were only five meters from home with your cupcakes waiting on the counter to greet them. Ugh.

---