Page 49 of Faking It With the Grumpy Single Dad

Because now, Amelia’s words are coming back to me.

“But now thatsomeone elsehas clued them into the fact that you might finally be getting your hands dirty…”

Of course. I should have seen this tactic coming. Hadn’t I been worried all along that Percy might lash out by making me look like the bad guy?

I step back, trying to keep my voice steady. “Percy, you need to leave. You can’t just barge in here.”

“Like hell I can’t,” he snaps, his eyes flashing. “You publicly humiliate me by making me look like some desperate ex-boyfriend, and you expect me to just sit back and take it?”

“Humiliate you?” I can’t help but laugh, though it’s shaky. “You’re the one who keeps showing up, Percy. Youarea desperate ex-boyfriend! I didn’t ask for any of this.”

His mouth twists into a bitter smile. “Oh, right. You’re the victim here, aren’t you? Poor Poppy, being pursued by someone who actually cares about her.”

I cross my arms, trying to stand my ground. “This isn’t about caring, Percy. You don’t care about me at all, actually. This is aboutcontrol. You’ve been stalking me, lurking around town like some creep, and I’m done with it.”

He steps closer, and I swear I can feel the anger radiating off him.

“You know what, Poppy? You’re not as innocent as you like to pretend. You lead people on, and when they don’t play by your rules, you cast them aside.”

I stare at him for a long moment. “I lead people on?Who? You?”

Percy snorts humorlessly. “Not me. That sad sack of working-class bones you’re parading around as some kind of pet project. Oh, I bet he’s going to be thrilled to learn what it means to be romantically involved with Poppy Minton. Especially when he sees you’re too ashamed of him to admit it to your followers.”

I swallow hard. “I’m right, then. You did this. This was your plan, huh? Try to scare Joe away? There’s never such a thing asboundarieswith you, is there?”

“Boundaries? You want to talk about boundaries? You broke my boundaries when you refused to give me a second chance—”

“That doesn’t even make sense!” I shout.

I know we’re being loud. I know the neighbors might be able to hear us right now.

I also don’t think I care.

“Forming healthy boundaries doesn’t mean that you get to decide how other people react to your insanity, Percy,” I snap.

He takes another step toward me. I take a step back. My bare foot touches raw plywood and I flinch at the prospect of getting a splinter, but I’ll take a dozen splinters right now if it means I can keep some distance between us. I don’t like the way he’s looking at me—like I’m a broken toy that he wants to throw away into the garbage once and for all.

He’s finally realized he can’t have me, after all. His stunt didn’t work.

“I’m not insane,” he growls. “You’re the insane one. You’re so insane that you refuse to acknowledge how great we would've been together, Poppy. That’s the only explanation I can come up with for not wanting to be with me. You’ve got to be crazy, right?”

I gape at him. There’s still a thin fog of sleep clouding my mind, and I’m not totally sure I’m hearing him properly.

Either that, or he really is talking utter nonsense.

“No, Percy,” I say, taking another tentative step backwards. “I’m not crazy.You’recrazy. And you really need to leave my property. Right now.”

A nasty smirk forms on his lips. “Or what, Poppy? What are you going to do?”

Without warning, he lunges toward me.

Chapter Sixteen: Joe

With the boys now fed and happily in Flo’s care at the beach, I know that I need to go back to Poppy’s. I need to see her.

As I approach 1315 Atlantic Lane, my nerves kick into high gear. I don’t usually do nervous. Today’s different, though. Will she be upset with me for sneaking out this morning?

More important than that, however, is the fact that I can’t simply ignore how much of a public figure Poppy is. That photo in the tabloid is still freaking me out.Shefreaks me out—but not necessarily in a bad way. Ever since I started this project, Poppy has been a thorn in my side. It’s not her fault, though. She’s headstrong. Determined. Enigmatic and magnetic at the same time.

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