Page 8 of Say Yes To The Fake Date

She blurts out a laugh. “Really? I should hate him because of that? You know that’s crazy, right? Tate and Dom actually do a good job of coexisting in this small town. They send each other business when one of them is too busy.”

I angrily dip the chip and chew it, lost in thought. Violet is not telling me anything I don’t already know. Dominic Evans is a good man. Yes, he hurt me, but it doesn’t make him a bad person just because he didn’t want to be with me anymore.

“So…” Violet waves her hand in front of my face. “Finish the story. You broke down, and Dom was the one that stopped.”

I grit my teeth, remembering Dom walking toward me and seeing him for the first time in forever. “Yeah, he refused to leave me on the side of the road and packed all my bags in his truck and took me home.”

Violet wants to say something but is obviously holding back. “So… you want me to send Tate to tow your car?”

She picks up her phone, ready to call her brother, and I shake my head. “Nope… I told Dom I’d take care of it, but he went back and picked it up.” I let out a harsh breath. “And then he towed it to his shop, fixed the fuel pump, put on new tires, a new battery and who knows what else.”

I can hear the frustration in my voice, and it’s obvious Violet hears it too. “That asshole. How dare he?”

“Har, har. You’re funny. I appreciate him doing all that, but I can’t even afford to pay him for the fuel pump, let alone all the other stuff he did.”

Violet shrugs like it’s not a big deal. “Let me pay for it.”

I wave her off. “No, I hired an attorney, and heshould be able to help me get my share of the money from my business soon. Or at least access to it.”

Violet shrugs. “Well, you know Dom, just talk to him. He’ll let you take your car and just make payments.”

I nod. “Yeah, he said he didn’t want money and that I could take my car, but I don’t want to owe him anything.”

“He’s not like that,” Violet deadpans.

I’m taking another drink when Violet smirks, gesturing toward the other side of the bar. “Well, well, well, speak of the devil.”

I turn in my seat and scan the room. I suck in a breath when I see Dominic sitting across the bar with his foster brother, Gabe. Dom is staring at me, and I turn in my seat so fast that I feel I might have whiplash.

Violet laughs and sits back in her seat. “Well, that’s a reaction.”

I bury my face in my hand. What is it about Dom that makes me react this way? How does he still have a hold on me after all these years?

I lift my head and look at my friend. “I have to go.”

She bursts out a laugh, and when she sees I’mnot joking, she shakes her head. “Lucy, you’re kidding me, right?”

I shake my head as I move to the edge of my seat. “No, I need to leave… right now.”

Her mouth drops. “What is wrong with you?”

I grab the edge of the table. “I can’t do this. I’m not ready to see him again.”

Violet continues to shake her head and holds up her glass. “I’m drinking… you're drinking. I’m not sure exactly what you want to do. Neither one of us can drive right now.”

I’m about to jump up and run out the door. I can walk home, but guilt for leaving Violet here alone makes me stay in my seat. “What time is Josh coming?”

She looks at her phone and checks the time. “He had practice. He’ll probably be here in around thirty minutes.” Violet’s husband is the running back for the Jasper Eagles.

I suck in a breath and let it out nice and slow. “Thirty minutes. Okay, I can do that.”

I can feel Dom’s eyes boring into me, and I peek over my shoulder. Sure enough, even from a distance, I can see him watching me. As long as he stays on that side of the bar, I’ll be okay. I turn back to Violet and silently repeat to myself all thereasons why I should avoid Dominic Evans. Number one on the list is that I don’t trust myself with him. Today he not only fixed my car, but he held me and tried to fix my heart. I need to resist him, and in order to do that, I need to keep as much distance between us as possible.

6

DOMINIC

“What the fuck, Dom? You invite me for beers and then stare off into space all night?”

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