Page 16 of Scoring with my Bestie's Ex

“I haven’t worked out all the kinks. But I have to get my designs ready before I can do any of that,” she says.

I’m so engrossed in how animated Bella is that I don’t notice Steven approaching until he starts to laugh.

Bella jerks.

“She talking your ear off about clothes, huh?” Steven says. He takes a seat at our table without asking. “She likes to yap about fashion, don’t you, babe?”

He casually puts an arm around her shoulder.

Bella shrugs it off and moves a little further from him. “We were talking.”

“There’s nowhere else open,” Steven says. “You don’t mind, do you?”

“Actually—" I start.

Steven interrupts me quickly. “You learn how to tune her out when she’s droning on and on.”

“I thought it was very interesting,” I say stiffly.

Steven snorts, giving me a disbelieving look. He tries to put an arm around Bella again. She pushes him off.

“Don’t touch me,” she hisses.

Steven holds his hands in the air. “Excuse me for breathing.”

“I’m going to have to ask you to leave,” I tell Steven firmly.

He ignores me.

“Bella here is obsessed with fashion and clothes. Did she tell you that she made her own wedding dress? For our wedding,” he adds, as though there was any doubt as to what he was talking about.

“I did,” Bella mutters. “But you didn’t want me to wear it, did you?”

Steven gives her an innocent look. “Babe, you were talking about your designs not being ready. I didn’t want you to be embarrassed as you walked down the aisle.”

He’s not leaving. I know that he won’t leave without making a scene. Will it be worth it to start the scene if it means that he’ll leave sooner?

“Of course,” Steven continues, his voice growing louder, “I had no idea that it was me who would be embarrassed. There I was, standing by the altar waiting for my bride and she never came. You know how embarrassing it is to have a runaway bride?”

Bella slides down her chair, trying to hide. Several of the other tables start to look over at us.

Steven’s eyes dart to the onlookers.

A grin twitches at his mouth.

He’s doing it deliberately, making sure everyone knows how much Bella wronged him in an attempt to humiliate her.

My hands clench under the table.

“I knew that she’s flighty and has trouble with commitments, but I never thought it would be that bad,” he continues, his voice raised. “But despite all that, I still love her.” He turns to Bella. “I still love you, Bella. And I forgive you.”

Chapter seven

Bella

Forgive me?

Yeah, right.

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