Page 43 of Worth the Chase

“I’m not,” Bells said. “You think I’d go out with you if I had a boyfriend?”

He looked between us, his eyes darting back and forth. “Actually, no, I don’t. But maybe I should go.”

“Yes, you should go,” I said at the same time that Bells said, “No, you shouldn’t.”

He laughed, but made no move to leave.

The dude actually reached out his hand toward me. “I’m West. Nice to meet you.”

I stared at his hand for far too long, but decided to shake it anyway. “Matthew. Can’t say the same.”

West laughed at the same time Bells grumbled and rolled her eyes.

“Bells,” I pleaded, “what are you doing?”

“Iwaseating French fries and having a great time before you came along,” she said nonchalantly before she popped another fry into her mouth.

“You’re killing me,” I admitted, and West looked like he felt sorry for me. “You say no to dating me, but you’ll go out with some stranger from Whimper Falls?”

“Whisper,” they both corrected me at the same time.

How fucking cute.

“West is nice. And a fireman. Did you know that?” She looked all doe-eyed, and I wanted to scream.

I must have looked like I was going to combust or something because West finally fucking pushed out of the booth and stood. Thankfully, he wasn’t as tall as I was, or I might have really come undone. The guy was extremely good-looking.

“I’m sorry, Bella. I think you’re a great woman, but I’m a big fan of this guy.” He pointed right at me, and maybe he wasn’t so bad after all. “And I think he might really like you. If Matthew O’Grady crashed my date and looked at me the way he’s looking at you right now, I’d give him a shot or at least hear him out.”

That shit made me laugh.

Bells was not laughing.

West gave her a small smile and clapped me on the back before walking away and hopefully going back to the town he had come from.

I slid into his empty seat.

“What is actually wrong with you?” Bells asked, her hazel eyes filled with fury. “One too many hockey hits to the head?”

“What are you talking about?” I reared back. “I didn’t get hit in the head.”

“You sure as heck act like it. You can’t just walk in here, ruin my date, and make the guy leave.”

“I didn’t make him leave. He did that all on his own,” I said before reaching over toward her plate and pulling off a fry.

“You’re so frustrating,” she practically shouted before sucking in a long breath.

“Just tell me you’re not sleeping with him.” I closed my eyes to rid myself of the vision of his hands on her body.

“Sleeping with him?”

Her tone was off, but she’d said the words far too slow and concise for my liking.

“Yeah. Tell me you’re not,” I pushed. “Is that why you keep telling me no? Because of this guy? How long have you been dating him?”

“You’re such an idiot.” She started to move out of the booth, and I reached for her arm, stopping her.

“I am. When it comes to you, Bells, I am an idiot. Can’t you see that? Thinking about you with someone who isn’t me makes me want to rip my brain out of my skull so I can’t have those thoughts anymore.”

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