Page 18 of Craving the Bad Boy

“Phew,” I mutter as I slip in the back door. “Made it.”

The familiar scents of smoke and stale beer really don’t mix well with my breakfast sandwich, so I stuff the remainder in my mouth and wash it down with my drink. I’m greeted with the low murmur of non-enthusiastic, midday chit-chat and make my way behind the bar, where George is glancing at something on his phone.

“How’s things?” I ask. His only reply is a shrug as he grimaces down at his screen. I don’t even want to know what he’s doing on that thing. Somehow, there are already a bunch of unwashed glasses in the sink, so I grab the soap and a rag and get to work. I barely get through the first two when the front door swings open.

Great. Customers.

I glance up, hoping it will at least be somebody I know and who is friendly and easy, and that’s when I freeze.

Roxy.

I see her standing in the doorway, scanning the room with her eyes like a hawk, as if she’s searching for something.Someone. As she steps inside, I notice her usual confident stride is a bit off. A bit different. She’s calmer. More deliberate as she walks through the bar.

I swallow hard and lower my gaze, looking back at what I’m doing. But I can tell by the sound of her heels that she’s headedright for me. There’s no doubt in my mind that she’s here to start trouble.

Christ, Saxon, why can’t you be here with me now?

“Tammy,” she says, her voice soaked in that overly-sweet, fake tone, laced with something nasty underneath that I can’t quite put my finger on. “You and I need to talk.”

The hairs on the back of my neck stand up like I’m being pursued by a predator. My heart rate quickens, and I keep my eyes on the bartop. “I think I’d rather not.”

She steps closer, her heels clicking against the floor as she leans up against the bar. “It’s about Saxon.”

My heart skips a beat. Goosebumps break out over my body. My hand tightens on the rag, wringing out water all over the napkin holder.

This can’t be good.

I force myself to meet her gaze–her eyes filled with some kind of agenda I can’t decipher. Why is this happening? Can’t I just be happy for once?

“What about him?” I ask. I don’t really want to know. I just want things to keep going on as they’ve been going. Sure, we’ve hit a few patches of rough water here and there, but from now on, I can see things being just smooth sailing between him and me.

For the first time ever, I see hesitance in Roxy, like she’s having a hard time bringing herself to say whatever it is she came here for. She exhales and lets her hair fall in front of her face. “Look, Tammy. I thought very carefully about this before coming here, okay?” She pauses, her eyes unfocused like she’s choosing her next words carefully. “I don’t want you to get hurt, but you deserve to know the truth about what’s been going on.”

My pulse starts to race, pounding heavily in my ears. “The truth?” I ask, trying not to sound too confrontational. “The truth about what, Roxy?”

“I just–I want you to know that I’m here to help you–”

“Just spit it out, would you?” I snap, my voice almost frantic, trembling as I fight to control it. Jesus, that was bitchy. But Roxy has me right on the edge. I’ve been trying to put her out of my mind all morning, and now here she is, at my work, ready to spill some tea on the man I’m hopelessly in love with.

Maybe I’m imagining it, but it seems like when she pulls out her phone, she does so with a bit of a flourish. She unlocks it slowly, her eyes on me. “Saxon and I,” she says, her voice low and filled with intent. “We’ve been…seeingeach other, Tammy. Despite what he says about us being broken up. And I just thought you should know before you really fall in love with him.”

My stomach tightens, and I blink several times, feeling stunned. Did I just hear her right? “What?” I ask, a lump in my throat. I feel like I’m about to puke. “You’re lying. You haven’t beenseeingeach other.”

Roxy shakes her head, her lips twisting into a gentle smile, like she feels bad for me. Like she pities me.

“I wish I was, sweetie.” Shaking her head, she taps a red-nailed finger on her phone, and before I can even process what’s going on, a barrage of text messages fills the screen.

Saxon’s name at the top.

His actual number below…

I miss you, babe. I’m so goddamn horny for you right now. Am I still seeing you tonight?

A crack forms in my heart.

You’re not with Tammy tonight?Roxy’s reply hits me like a barb of thorns dragged across my chest.

What is happening?

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