Page 41 of His Pickle Her Jam

“I don’t know, some chick,” Mel said.

“What?” Buck’s voice sounded nearer.

I snapped out of my panic and turned around, hurrying down the path towards my car.

Tears pricked my eyes, but I’d be damned if I was going to let them fall.

Fuck him.

I should have known better. There were no good guys left in the real world. They only existed in books and stories, inside the heads of romance writers who teased the rest of us with what it could and should be like if men weren’t such low lives.

Buck was a bastard. A two-timing cheat.

And I was so done with him.

“Jan? Jan wait!”

I wiped my face and started a slow jog to my car. I couldn’t run in my sandals.

But how fucking long is this goddamn pathway?

“Jan? Slow down. Hey, what's going on?” Buck said, grabbing my arm and forcing me to spin around.

“What's going on? Are you serious?”

“Yeah,” he said, looking completely alarmed and confused.

“What’s going on is I was right! You're a two-timing snake, that's what's going on. Now let me go,” I grumbled, trying unsuccessfully to free my arm from his iron grip.

“What are you talking about?”

“Leave me alone, Buck.”

“No. Not until you tell me what the hell is wrong,” he said, pulling me closer.

I didn’t want to go. I didn’t want to be near him or touch him. Especially since he was wearing nothing but athletic shorts and from the sheen of sweat glistening on his body, he’d obviously been very, um, busy.

A fresh wave of hurt rolled over me and I bit my lip to keep from sobbing.

I pulled against him once again, but he wasn’t budging, and I knew any second now, I was going to be a sobbing mess.

“You’re hurting me,” I said, and instantly, I was free.

I turned around, intending to walk away, but Buck was faster. He stepped into my space and wrapped his arms around me gently.

“Jan?”

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN-JAN

Day 9 of Block Party Prepping (1 to go) and possibly the worst day of my life

“Let go,” I begged.

“No. Turn around.”

He used the same tone when we were in bed together. It was the one I couldn’t help but listen to.

His breath warmed my neck, and I wanted to shy away from it. The idea he’d been kissing her. Touching her. Made me want to vomit.

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