Page 113 of A Lesson for Laurel

Her head went back and forth. “You met her fiancé.”

“I did,” he said. “And I’ll be petty and say I wanted to laugh. He’s not what I thought. He’s jealous of me and it might have fed my ego a touch. I threw a few comments out there about the fact that he knew she was taken and yet still approached Rachelle.”

“Soyou’rejealous,” she said.

“No,” he said. “I’m saying that it’s low and he’s a piece of shit for doing it. You don’t poach on another man’s woman. Never. People who do deserve what they get in life. Those two deserve each other. I’m not sure what the big deal is. It was a five-minute conversation and then I walked away.”

“But you’re worked up,” she said. “And you were worked up enough that you went to Liam’s house. That is what Nicole was trying to say. She started to point out that everyone loved me and they didn’t care for Rachelle.”

“That’s right,” he said. “I don’t even know how many comments I got on how great you were. How real you were. Thatyou are the type of woman I should have been with all along. Not because of how you look, because none of my friends are going to comment on that. It had to do with how you carry yourself. You didn’t need to be glued to me the whole night. You didn’t need me to entertain you. Half the time I had to find you.”

“And that bothered you?” she asked.

“Maybe. I don’t know. I’m not used to that either. I can’t believe we are fighting over this. We don’t get to see each other much and now we are going to spend our time talking about this?”

“Listen,” she all but growled at him. “You know what happened with my ex. How I feel about liars and cheaters. You had the same thing happen to you. I go out of my way to always tell you when Abe is around so that you know I’m never hiding anything from you.”

“I trust Abe,” he said, running his hands through his hair.

“But you don’t trust me?” she asked, her jaw dropping.

“I trust you too. Not even for the fact of what happened to you, but because we share the same values. I would hope that you’d trust me, but I’m starting to wonder about that if you’re so worked up over the fact that my ex stopped me and gavemeshit. I walked away. I don’t understand this. It sounds like you’re the jealous one now.”

“I’m not,” she said. “I’m really not. I know you’d never go back to her. I believe that one hundred percent. I just don’t understand why you didn’t tell me. You’re going to say it’s not a big deal, but if it’s not, then say it.”

“What was I supposed to say? Oh, guess who I saw that gave me some line of shit in the store?”

“Yes!” she shouted. “Then you could have talked it out withme. That is what people who love each other do. You come to me and say how you’re feeling. If Philip tried to reach out to me again, you’d be the first to know about it.”

“Because I’d have to hunt him down and break him in half.”

Her jaw dropped again. “You don’t get jealous. I’ve heard that tonight from more than one person.”

“I’m not jealous,” he said.

She grinned. “Really? Care to explain that response to me then?”

He didn’t like the look on her face. And he couldn’t explain it because then it would come off like he was jealous.

“What do you want me to say?” he said. “I don’t want to fight. If I start talking you’re liable to accuse me of being smooth again and talking my way out of something.”

“I was starting to feel that way until you mentioned breaking him in half,” she said. “Now I’m not so sure. It’s okay to tell me your feelings. I’m not going to judge you. Even though I judged you in the beginning. But I haven’t since, right?”

“No,” he said.

“Then talk to me. You say it’s not a big deal, but it had to be something,” she said. “You dated her for years. If you didn’t feel that much for her that you could just walk away like that, why did you hang on?”

He took a deep breath. “It was comfortable,” he said.

“Ouch,” she said. “I don’t want you to ever say that about me.”

“You don’t want me to be comfortable around you?” he asked, not sure how to take that comment.

“I don’t want what we have to be comfortable. I want it to be hot, spicy, and even explosive at times. That doesn’t mean sex or anger. It can be fun too. It can be humor. I want you to feel all sorts of things with me but not have comfortable or contentment be anywhere near the top of the list.”

“It sure the hell isn’t there right now,” he said.

“Good,” she said. “So you stayed because it was easy? I’m not trying to insult you, but I don’t picture you the type of guy to take the easy way with anything.”

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