Page 19 of The Problem with Dating

“He said he owes you and your business money.”

“Oh.” I shook my head. “That’s none of your business.”

“I know. It’syourbusiness. People will make you broke if you allow them to abuse you like that.”

I held the pizza boxes against my chest and cocked an eyebrow. “And what difference does it make to you?”

“Absolutely none. I’m not letting people leave my establishments without paying for my services. But then again, you seem like the type.” He glanced my way, eyed me up and down, then turned back to face forward. “No offense.”

Uh, offense taken. Dripping in offense!“What does that even mean? I seem like the type?”

“You know”—he gestured toward me—“a pushover.”

“I’m not a pushover,” I lied. It was my middle name, after all.

“That grown man just told you he spent two thousand dollars on Taylor Swift tickets instead of paying you, and you didn’t even consider standing up for yourself.”

“You don’t understand,” I urged. “It’s Taylor Alison Swift. It’s kind of understandable.”

He rolled his eyes. Dang it, why was his eyeroll attractive, too?

He continued. “You’re a pushover. A doormat. A weak—”

“I get it,” I snapped, cutting him off. The amount of discomfort I found in his words was aggravating.

I felt dizzy.

Hurt, too.

Mostly hurt because I knew he was right. People pushed me around repeatedly, and I hadn’t found the courage to shove them back. Maybe because my name was already being dragged through the mud due to Cole. I didn’t need more negative press from the pizza delivery man.

The elevator opened to his floor. And before he got out, he turned my way. “They’ll keep robbing you as long as you keep your safe open like an idiot.”

“I’m not an idiot.”

“I didn’t say you were an idiot. I saidlikean idiot.”

“Why are you being such a jerk?”

“I’m just telling you like it is.”

“But it’s not true.”

“It is. It’s called tough love.”

I huffed. “Yet there seems to be no love to be found.”

He raised and dropped his shoulders. “Then I guess it’s just tough.”

Chills raced over me as I stared at the darkest soul I’d witnessed in a long time. His approach and his RDF threw me for a loop. He seemed to be the type to live under a dark, gloomy cloud at all times, never feeling the sun's warmth. A vampire of a human. I wondered if he was always like that or what changed him to become that way. Who was his maker? Who was the person who bit him and changed him forever?

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, the words leaving my mouth before I could comprehend why I was saying them.

“For what?”

“I don’t know.” I shrugged. “For whoever it was that broke you and turned you into a monster.”

CHAPTER6

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