Page 15 of How to Lose at Love

“No, I’ve seriously never had a girlfriend. Why does anyone care about that?”

He is so dramatic.

“Who iseveryone?”

“None of your business.”

That makes me laugh. “Your family?”

He hesitates. “For starters.”

“Well, you sound like an only child.” Crabby and bratty and impulsive.

“For your information, I am one of four. All boys.”

Shocker.

“That explainssomuch.”

He scrunches up his nose. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You’re one of four boys, and let me guess, you all play sports.”

“How do you know I play sports?”

“My friend Winnie—she’s the one who was watching you through the window—told me who you were because I had no idea.” To punctuate my boredom, I feign a yawn, lest his head get any bigger because we were yapping about him earlier. “It wasn’t me, it was her, and she’s dating someone, so…yeah. Check the ego.”

“The ego?” He laughs. “That’s a good one.”

I can’t argue, can’t tell him I’m shocked his giant, inflated head fit into the cab of his truck, can’t say I could tell he was a pompous windbag by the way he stood in the wind, daring it to try to bend him—because as I open my mouth to refute him, I’m forced to ruin any debate by telling him to make a right-hand turn at the stop sign.

Then again, I’ve only known him all of fifteen minutes.

Thenagain…any guy who takes fifty bucks from his buddy to break up with his girlfriend is probably an unfeeling asshole with serious daddy issues.

In my professional opinion.

My parents are relationship therapists, remember? A tad butthurt, I give myself permission to diagnose Dallas Colter as a commitment-phobe. In fact, I wouldn’t doubt he played some part in convincing Diego he should be single, he’s better off without a girlfriend, he would have more fun, blah blah blah.

We have a few more streets to pass before I have to give him another direction.

“You didn’t tell me why Diego doesn’t want to see me anymore.”

“Nope. I didn’t.”

I only let us sit in silence for a few seconds. “Well, aren’t you going to tell me why?”

“How should I know why? I’m not the guy’s mother.”

That makes no sense. “Clearly he confided in you if he asked you to break up with me for him.” I shake my head, stunned. “I mean, who does that?”

“I already told you. The guy is a pussy.”

That tells me nothing about his reason. I’m tempted to message him, but honestly, the fact that he hired someone in the first place tells me everything I need to know. Diego could have sent any number of people to do what he sent Dallas Colter to do; the ugly truth is, he doesn’t want to date me anymore.

Even worse?

I hadn’t even decided I wanted to date him! That asshole beat me to the punch.

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