Page 74 of Mr. Charming

Oh shit, is he going to break up with her right now? My hands fist at my sides. I step closer as if I could shelter her from the pain that’s coming.

“Here? In the waiting room of the emergency department?” I ask Decker, pissed off that he’s being so insensitive about this.

Easton doesn’t say anything.

“What?” Decker scowls at me.

The nurse calls him again, and he puts up his hand.

“I get that you’re mad, man, but this isn’t cool. The puck thing was Bodhi, and this is me. Tedi doesn’t have anything to do with this.” I step up, but his eyes remain on Tedi.

She shudders a breath.

Easton still doesn’t say anything, and Decker’s gaze doesn’t leave Tedi’s.

“It’s time,” he says to her.

She nods and tips her head down.

The nurse calls him again, but Decker doesn’t go to her. He walks over to Tedi and places his hands on her upper arms, and she looks up.

What the hell is going on? They have some kind of conversation without words, and I hate that they’re able to do that. I used to be the one who could do that with Tedi.

The nurse calls his name again, but before she can finish, Decker says, “I’m coming.”

He turns and walks toward her, Easton cringing at me but following.

“Hey!” I call, and Decker stops. “How big an asshole are you?”

“Just talk to her, man. Ask her.” Decker walks away.

Easton lingers in the doorway, a smile tipping his lips. He nods to Tedi, who is standing in front of me twisting her purse strap around her fingers.

They disappear through the doors, and I notice people looking at us, waiting for the show to begin.

“I gotta go,” Tedi says and races out of the waiting room and into the street.

Oh, no, there is no running today. I wanna know what the fuck is going on.

I follow her, catching up to her at the corner. “What am I missing, Tedi?”

She shakes her head. “Nothing. We just broke up.” Instead of crossing, she circles back, going the opposite way as if she just needs to be away from me.

My legs are longer, so I keep pace with her, weaving around people. “That’s not what I just saw.”

She shakes her head, pulling her coat tighter around her neck because we’re headed into the wind.

“Tedi.” My voice is a mix of desperation and confusion.

She stops and looks at me, tears in her eyes.

My stomach clenches.

“Fine.” Her arms fly out to her sides. “It was fake. All of it.”

“All of what?” I’m so confused.

“Me. Decker. Us. We were never a couple. I asked him to pretend to be my boyfriend so you would stay away from me.”

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