Page 25 of Faking It With the Grumpy Single Dad

“Yikes.”

She snorts, shaking her head in disbelief. “I know, right? And he was convinced that we’re soulmates. Or, I guess he’sstillconvinced of that. It’s been a year, and he hasn’t accepted that I don’t want to be with him.”

There are so many glaring red flags in everything she’s saying, but I don’t need to tell her that. Clearly, she understands that this Percy guy is a problem.

Did he really fly all the way here just to confront her? Who has the time for that? Who has themoneyfor that?

I can’t even begin to fathom how the other half lives, even after working for them all these years.

“Have you thought about getting a restraining order?” I suggest lightly.

Poppy picks at an invisible piece of lint on the hem of her shiny running top.

“That’s the problem,” she mutters. “It’s not like that. Like, if I went to the police, I wouldn’t really have any actual reasons to file a document like that. He’s not violent. He’s never hurt me. He’s never committed a crime. Everyone else in our circle of mutual acquaintances thinks that he’s great and I’m crazy for not wanting him. Percy is just really insistent and completely delusional. A judge isn’t going to care enough about that to order him to stay away from me.”

I shift slightly, resisting the urge to move closer and offer her some form of physical comfort. Clearly, this is something she’sgiven a lot of thought to already. Which means that this isn’t the first time her ex has made her so uncomfortable that she’s considered going to the police.

Part of me wants to hop in my truck right now and chase that guy out of town. I bet I could get enough hard-edged New Englanders with harsh, impatient attitudes to scare him away from the Cape. Locals here can be rough at the best of times, even if that roughness is only on the surface.

Forming an angry mob probably isn’t going to help all that much, though.

“He’ll go back to California eventually, won’t he?” I ask.

Poppy shrugs. She looks so dejected. I’m used to seeing her bright-eyed and chipper, bouncing on the balls of her feet like she’s ready to launch off into space at a moment’s notice.

I don’t like that someone has the power to dull her shine like this.

“I don’t know,” she admits. “It’s not like he has a real job. His dad is an executive at Paramount and, technically, he’s being trained to take over eventually, but it’s not like nepotism requires a nine-to-five.”

I stare at her. It’s like she’s speaking another language.

She shakes her head again. “For all I know, he’s going to stay right here on the Cape indefinitely. He’ll haunt me until I lose my mind and let him drag me back to LA.”

“You wouldn’t actually go back there with him, would you?”

“No, but who knows what I’d do if he actually drove me insane?” She glares down at her shoes. “I really didn’t think he’d follow me out here. I thought that leaving California meant that I’d never have to see him again. I mean, coastal Massachusetts issonot his scene.”

“Then maybe he’ll get bored and leave on his own.”

“You underestimate his determination to get what he wants.”

I bristle at that. “Well, you’re not a toy, Poppy Minton. He can’t just have you.”

“I know that.Hedoesn’t, though.”

“Then what do we do?”

Poppy blinks at me. “We?”

I shove my hands in my pockets, hoping that I look more nonchalant than I feel. “I helped get rid of him just now, didn’t I? Maybe I can do it again, but more permanently.”

She cringes, her cheeks going rosy again. “I think the fact that we told him we’re together helped a lot, actually.”

“He respects another man before he’ll ever respect you.” It’s more of a furious statement than a question, but Poppy nods.

“Plus, you’re bigger than him. Stronger, too, I’m sure. He talks a big game, but he’s sheltered and cowardly. He’s not going to pick a fight that he knows he won’t win.”

Basically, it sounds like this ex-boyfriend of hers is a misogynistic loser and, dare I say it, a waste of space. He doesn’t seem to contribute much to society, if it’s true that he doesn’t even have a career or real ambitions besides possessing Poppy.

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