Page 53 of Give Me Love

No.

Yes.

I adjust my hat and step up when the line moves. I sound like a teenage boy.

“Is it complicated then?”

“Why’s it your business?” I ask.

He throws up his hands in surrender. “Just asking. We go back, her and me. We had a good thing for a while.”

He’s got my interest. “Hmm. She’s never mentioned you.” I don’t bother telling him we’ve only known each other for a short time. I just need him to think he wasn’t that important to her.

He nods. “Well, she’s not one to open up.”

“Really?” I act surprised at this. “She tells me everything. That matters anyway.” Lies again.

He smirks and I wanna fucking punch him, but the lady asks me my order.

“Two beers,” I say to her. I wasn’t going to have one, but my nerves insist.

“Two beers,” she yells to the boy near the cooler.

I grab my wallet from my back pocket and put some bills down as the boy sets the cans on the counter.

I grab the cold beers and turn, checking Nash’s shoulder as I walk by.

“She’s got a sweet spot above her hip,” he says. “It drives her crazy when you run your tongue over it.”

I turn around. “What the fuck did you just say?”

He grins. “Just trying to help you out, bro.”

I step up and get in his face. “You don’t know me.”

“Does she?” he asks.

I’m aware people are looking at us, and I feel my hands shake, wishing these cans were glass because I’d bust them over this motherfucker’s head.

“Bryce?” I hear and I turn around to see her. “What’s going on?” She looks between Nash and me.

“Nothing,” he says. “Bryce and I were just having a little chat.”

I look back at him. “Fuck off,” I say to his face. I eye him before turning away, knowing if he says one more thing, I’ll do something that’ll probably land me in jail. “Let’s go,” I say to Kathrine as I walk by.

“Umm, bye, Nash,” I hear her say. He says something, but I don’t catch it. My ears are ringing, I’m so pissed. She needs to be more careful about who she chooses to sleep with. No decent man would talk about what he and a woman do behind closed doors. Especially if he cared about her, which she seems to think they were friends. Friends, my ass.

“Bryce, what the hell was that?” She comes up behind me as I yank open my car door.

“Just get in the car,” I tell her.

“No.”

My head jerks up. “What do you meanno?”

“I’m not getting in until you tell me what the hell happened back there.” She crosses her arms and looks at me hard. I see people watching us, and I really just want to get out of here.

I soften my voice. “I’ll tell you in the car.”

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