Page 59 of Can't Take My Eyes Off You

‘You’refourorfiveshots in?’ he asks, looking me up and down with worried eyes. ‘You never drink like that and you weigh nothing. You’ll be full tilt in minutes.’

‘A game you know well,’ I say snidely.

He rolls his eyes, nodding his head, a guilty smile on his still pretty face.

‘Why would you show up unannounced on mybirthday?’ I ask, the words leaving my lips angrily.

‘I’m here for you, baby.’ His voice is all soft and gooey, like a chocolate chip cookie straight from the oven.

I was beginning to think my heart was a goner. Charred in the flames that were once William Adler. But nope, it clearly exists, and it’s definitely not beating correctly in his presence.

Pull yourself together, Berkley. If you’re about to die of a heart condition you didn’t know you had, at least tell him off first. He deserves that.

‘No,’ I say firmly. ‘Do not “baby” me, Adler.’

‘So, you hate me?’ he asks curiously.

I nod. ‘Hate. Loathe. Resent. With the venom of a thousand cobras.’

And hello, tequila. Oh, boy. It’s really setting in fast now.

‘That’s a lot,’ he says, nodding his head like he’s impressed. ‘I suppose I deserve that.’

‘Youdeserveto let me punch you in the junk, film it, then tag you on all the social media so your adoring fans can see what a lying, crap-wagon, douche-lord you really are.’

He cracks a smile, leaning forward, resting his elbows on the bar. He fidgets with a bracelet I don’t recognize around the wrist that doesn’t sport his thirty-thousand-dollar Rolex.

‘DidDanikagive that to you? A token of her love to remember her while you come back to waffle stomp my heart?’

This time he laughs out loud.

‘Seriously?’ I ask, pissed he thinks this is a joke. ‘I’llletOlivia murder you, and then I’llhelpher bury your body. And I probably won’t mark your graveorvisit.’

He wipes the smile off his face. ‘It’s not funny, Berx. I just…’ The way he looks at me makes my heart weak. If I’m not careful, it’ll start making decisions for me and not punish him the way I want. ‘I missed your fiery mouth, that’s all.’

I roll my eyes. ‘You never answered my question. Did Danika give you that?’

He looks at the bracelet in question before glancing at me with his brow furrowed, shaking his head. ‘Dani and I officially broke up a long time ago. We were never as serious as the show made it seem either.’

‘You’resingle? No way.’

‘Why is that unbelievable?’

‘Uh, because you look like this.’ I motion my hands over him obnoxiously.

His smile grows until he’s again laughing to himself under his breath.

‘Your obvious amusement is pissing me off, Adler. Donottake those words as me telling you how fucking handsome you are. ’Cause it’s not. I mean, itkindais, but it’snot. It’s complicated, OK? I’m just saying…’ I let out a frustrated sigh, unsure of what I’m trying to say. I didn’t expect to be this madandcompletely heartbroken all at once.

‘You know, I rarely think of you anymore,’ I spout.

Lie.Stop talking, Berkley.

‘Or miss your stupid handsome face.’

Lie.Why are you still talking? Shut up!

‘The way you’d hold me…’

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