Page 67 of Whatever You Need

“Did you not hear me when I told you she agreed to marry some asshole, all for a fucking job?” Just the thought of it made me crazy and I would never understand. No job was worth it.

“I heard you.” He smirked, seeming amused by my outburst. “I also heard the part where she offered to give up everything for you too. Or do you not remember that part of the story?”

So much for me coming out tonight and drowning out my shitty mood. I should have just stayed home, drank my own beer, and ate a frozen pizza. It would have been a lot cheaper too. “You honestly think she would walk away from a life she loved and years down the road not resent me for it?” I snapped because that was a real fear of mine. It was the same fear that pushed her away. “I’m not going to risk my heart again. Been there, done that.”

“Oh, so you know what’s best for Amelia now.” The familiar voice had my head turning to the side in slow motion. Or at least that’s what it felt like when my eyes collided with the petite brunette who was now standing at the end of our table.

“Ava,” I sputtered because it was taking my brain a few seconds to catch up. I looked down at my glass and wondered if I had more to drink than I remembered. I opened my mouth to say something but hesitated, still not believing that Amelia’s best friend was standing right in front of me.

Logan leaned forward and angled his neck to get a better look at the woman who was staring daggers at me.

“And while you’re are so concerned with risking your own precious little heart,” she continued, “you forgot to mention to your friend that you broke hers too.”

I just stared and blinked, feeling completely thrown off by this ambush. There were so many things going through my head. So many questions I wanted answers to but was too chickenshit to ask. Like, was she still going through with it? Was she as torn up about this as I was? Was any of it even real? Every question led back to the same place.

“Listen.” I ran a hand through my hair a couple times wondering what the hell I was supposed to say. “I understand you are Amelia’s best friend, but I’m not the bad guy here.”

She stood there with her arms folded over her chest. “You’re also not the good guy that I thought you were either.”

Anger seeped into my bones and my entire body grew tight with irritation. “Excuse me?” Why the hell was I the one getting attacked today?

“She begged you to hear her out. She was planning on turning her back on her family and her obligations. All she wanted from you was an acknowledgment that you saw a future with her. Instead, you acted like a petulant child and threw her out. I heard the vile shit you said and let me tell you something…” She poked her hand in my chest. “If you weren’t a cop, and I didn’t have to worry about getting arrested, I would take the sharpest set of hair scissors I have in my shop and snip off your nut sack.”

I jerked my head back while Logan coughed next to me. “She lied to me. She knew we had an expiration date. I did nothing fucking wrong here.”

Ava was crazy. The woman clearly had a screw loose if she thought I was in the wrong. Who the hell was she to come over and berate me like a child? I wasn’t the one who lied, so I had nothing to feel guilty for. Other than being a lousy detective who missed all the clues. If Ava was angling for a fight, she was pissing me off enough to give her one.

Her hands were planted firmly on her hip now. “Did she or did she not tell you that she loved you and you told her to get the fuck out?”

Damn, she really knew how to throw a punch. When she put it like that, it did sound bad. Visions of Amelia crying flashed through my mind, especially when I sent her away right after she said the words that I wasn’t brave enough to say.

I love you. More than I thought possible.

I shook my head at the memory as the waitress came by and dropped off a new pitcher. I was struggling to keep my emotions in check, but the weight of her words caused a surge of anger to sneak up in the back of my throat.

“Your goddamned right I told her to get the fuck out. You want to make me out to be some heartless bastard then go right ahead, but Amelia’s not the innocent victim in all this. She jumped into my bed and kept me in the dark the entire time we were together.” The pressure in my chest was building and building, ready to explode. “Then,” my eyes burned into hers, “after weeks of lying to me, she had the audacity to give me an ultimatum? I don’t fucking think so, sweetheart.”

I watched her face soften for the first time since our little stand-off. “You have no idea how badly she wanted to tell you sooner. She never felt like there was a right time, but you’re right. She probably should have said something, but that’s between you two.”

I rolled my eyes, oh now it’s none of her business. Funny, how just a few minutes ago she was perfectly comfortable making mine and Amelia’s relationship her main mission.

“Hello.” Logan smiled and put his hand out. “I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Logan.”

She looked down and shook his hand. “Ava.” Was all she said and turned back to me.

“Would you like to join us for a drink?” He slid further down the bench seat of the booth to make room for her. His offer had me seething, and I was about ready to choke him for suggesting it.

Thankfully, she waved him off. “No thanks. I’m good.”

“You sure?” He licked his lips, making it known that he was interested. “I don’t bite.” The crinkles around the corner of his eyes deepened. “Unless, of course, you wanted me to.”

She looked at me and back to Logan. “You might want to bite your damn tongue and learn how to talk to a lady when you meet one.”

He sat forward and placed his arms on the sticky wooden table. “My apologies. It’s the Irish in me. I’m actually quite shy, but I do tend to get a little tongue-tied around a beautiful woman when I see one. I promise, I’m really not a player. In fact, you can feel my shirt, it’s made from boyfriend material.”

She rolled her eyes, and I blew out a long breath, wondering how the hell he even scored chicks with word vomit like that. “Are all your friends so damn chatty?” she asked me.

“Actually, I’ve been told my personality is one of my best assets.” He smirked, clearly not taking the hint that she wasn’t interested. Instead, he just stared at her like a goo-goo eyed moron.

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