Page 247 of The Last Good Man

“I don’t feel like talking to him,” I say, my eyes pinned on Ellis Wilton.

“He won’t talk to you. Trust me. No man walks away from a woman like that to chat with some old flame.”

“I’m hardly an old flame.”

“He made an obsession with you.”

“He’s a narcissist. He couldn’t stand to be rejected after only a few dates.”

She looks at me like this is the first time she’s heard of it.

“He’s also a dick,” I say. “He badmouthed me after the breakup.”

“What a tool,” she says, bringing her drink to her lips. “And yet, there’s no short supply of women willing to go out with him.”

“He’s good with his mouth.”

She flicks her eyes at me a little too fast.

“I’m talking about his words,” I say, laughing quietly. “He’s a pathological liar.”

“Making compliments is not about lying.”

“I’m not talking about making compliments here.Hejust lies all the time, twisting your words. He’s the worst and a great manipulator. He gives me the ick even now.”

I don’t want to lift my gaze and look at that man again.

“He’s gone,” she says.

“Gone?”

I flick my gaze to her.

“I think they went to the bar,” she says. “They met another couple.”

“Good.”

My eyes hover over the table when her hand finds mine under the table.

“Uh… What about him?”

“Him? What? He’s back?”

“No. No…”shesays, preoccupied. “A man is standing over there, searching for someone.”

My eyes fly to the entrance, and I catch sight of Jax signaling to the hostess and asking her about us.

The woman flicks her hand toward our table, and I give him a wave.

“No…” Alice pushes out under her breath. “Don’t tell me that this is him.”

“Yes. It’shim,” I say in a clipped voice before locking my jaw to stop smiling from ear to ear.

My cheeks hurt as I struggle to maintain a neutral expression, but it’sharderthan I thought.

Eventually, I place my napkin down and lift my purse from the chairnext tome while he closes the gap between us.

The first moments are a blur. I’m making the introductions,unable to focus on anything, sensing Alice’s curiosity.

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