Page 7 of Love to Prove You Wrong

“You need a higher fence, or this will keep happening.”

I rolled my eyes. Him again. I turned around, hand on my hip.

“Tell me something new.”

Justin grinned at me. “If you want, I can help you stop this duck from escaping.”

“Help? Why would you suddenly want to help me? If only you had that attitude in high school. It could’ve made my life a whole lot easier.”

He ran a hand through his hair, but the thick strands fell right back in front of his eyes. “We’re not in high school anymore, Addy. When are you going to let it go? It’s in the past.”

I crossed my arms. “That’s easy for you to say. You were nothing but rude to me, Justin. I had to listen to everyone calling me Fat Addy for two years.”

“You’re right, I shouldn’t have called you that. But in my defense, I was a clueless sixteen-year-old boy. I mean, being immature and inconsiderate is kind of normal at that age.”

“So you admit it? That you were wrong?”

He held his hands up in the air. “Yes, officer, I do.”

“Don’t get cheeky with me, mister.”

His mouth twitched, and I could tell he was having trouble suppressing a smile. “Mister?”

“This might all seem like fun and games to you, but I have a business to run here. I don’t have time for your silly comments.”

Justin took a step forward, closing the distance between us. I took a step back and grabbed ahold of the fence. Why was he standing so close to me that I could see the blue around his irises? Was he doing this on purpose, knowing full well he could use his looks and chiseled body to mislead people? To make them feel all confused?

“I know this is serious. That’s why I want to help you. Let me make that fence for you.”

“Why? What will you get out of it?” I asked in a snappy tone.

Justin raised one of his eyebrows and laughed. “Oh my God, Addy. Nothing, except maybe a friendly word from you. You keep reminding me how bad I was to you when we were teenagers, but you’re not so friendly to me now.”

I pursed my lips. “Fine. But only because it’ll get Diane off my back. And I’ll pay you.”

“You don’t have to pay me. I don’t need the money.”

I leveled him with a stare. “I am paying you or the deal’s off. I don’t want to owe you anything. And I don’t want any favors either.”

He licked his lips.Wow. Why did he have to have such a soft-looking mouth?

“Deal. But you’ll have to stop checking me out,” he said with a grin.

Ugh. The guy made my blood boil.

I pushed him away, which in hindsight was a bad move. Touching his muscled chest only made me weaker in the knees.

“I would never check you out, Justin Miller. And I don’t care that you’re famous or rich. It doesn’t change my opinion about you. Maybe your one and a half million followers think you’rethe bomb, but I know better. I know the real you.”

He pinned me in place with a grin. “Oh, do you now? You can’t stand me, but you know exactly how many followers I have? That’s not contradictory at all. One might even say that you’re obsessed with me.”

I narrowed my eyes. “I hate you, Justin.”

He chuckled. “Whatever you say, Addy.”

Then he turned on his heel, leaving me alone with Duckota. My heart was racing as I watched him walk away. Hating him would’ve been so much easier if he wasn’t so freaking sexy.

Chapter Three

---