Page 36 of Crossfire

I raised a brow, trying not to puke when the blonde gave the loser an Eskimo kiss.

“So, he’s just being an asshole then,” I deduced.

She shrugged. “I think he wants me to see what I missed out on.”

I licked my teeth, glaring at the ex. What a prick. The guy needed to be taught some manners.

“Don’t give him the satisfaction,” I said. “A bully is looking to get a rise out of someone. If they get the reaction they seek, they continue the behavior. Change the behavior, they lose interest.”

“Meaning?”

“Starve the bully. Give him the opposite of what he’s looking for.”

She tilted her head. “And what do you think he’s looking for?” Her eyes grew larger, making me notice how long her lashes were for the first time.

“To make you miserable.”

She blinked. “Well, he’s not.”

“No offense, but the hurt is written all over your face.”

She frowned. “I’m not hurt; I’m frustrated.”

I could hear her lie; she was hurt. Who wouldn’t be when someone you cared about goes this out of their way to burn you?

“It looks the same,” I warned. “Smile.”

“What?”

“Smile. Pretend I’m flirting with you and you find me intriguing.”

Ivy’s attention swept over to the ex-boyfriend, who was hanging all over the blonde, before returning to me.

“I hated when he played games with me; I refuse to stoop to his level.”

“Sometimes, you have to speak someone’s language for them to listen.”

She seemed to consider this but shook her head. “It’s manipulative.”

“And what would you call what he’s trying to do to you?”

She took a frustrated breath. “Maybe he doesn’t realize it’s hurting me.”

I could tell by her tone, by the slight tightening of her jaw, that she didn’t believe that for a second.

“He knows this is when you come to your favorite coffee shop?” I challenged her with a raised eyebrow.

Her lips fell into a scowl.

“I rest my case. Starve the bully.”

Drawn to the plump, inviting curve of her mouth, I couldn’t stop myself from tracking the movement of her tongue as it slowly swept over her lower lip, leaving a glistening sheen in its wake.

“How?” she asked.

To this, I smirked.

“Stay. Have coffee with me. My bet is, he’ll stay, too.” He was here to make her jealous after all. “You’ll smile, and we’ll look lost in each other’s eyes. We’ll put on a show that makes the point that you’ve moved on and that any of his manipulative tactics will be wasted energy. If all goes well, he won’t return tomorrow.”

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