Page 87 of Rules in Love
“Wait, wait, wait,” interrupted Nate, “Scarlett’s the hot girl you rescued from harassment and forfeited Jocie’s house to? Ah, see, now I get it, Finn. Wise move, brother. ”
Spinning in my chair, I shot Finn a look that could melt metal and started poking him in the arm. “You rescued me, huh? What exactly did you rescue me from, and what the hell is this about Jocelyn’s house?”
Teddy jumped to his feet and started doing something resembling the Macarena. “Hey, guys, who’s up for some shots?”
“Not now, Teddy,” I snapped, with my eyes still scorching and finger still jabbing. “Answer me, Finn. What did you do?”
“I swear it’s not that bad, Scarlett. Nate is being a dick, as per usual, and blowing this way out of proportion.”
“Oh, really. And exactly what proportion should it be?”
“Well, um…I never said I rescued you. I just told him about Herman and how Jocie and I intervened when you wouldn’t make a complaint, which you knew. And as for the house, all I did was tell Jocie to…well, I didn’t tell her. I advised…recommended that she let you pitch to her…and then maybe choose your design. But that’s all.”
“That’s all!” The sound of metal scraping over polished concrete drew every set of eyes in the bar. I jumped to my feet, my chair fell, and I nearly went with it. “I got the job because you told her to give it to me?”
“No, no, not at all. That’s not what happened.”
“How is it not? You just said you recommended she choose my design. Was this a pity thing? You thought you had to rescue the damsel in distress and give her work? Or…or was it just a way to get into my pants and slip me something else?”
Finn became defensive, rising to stand beside me. “Hey, that’s not fair. I did it because your designs were better. You deserved to get the job, Scar. It was pure admiration for your work.”
“Oh, I’m sure it was admiration for something, but I don’t think it was my work.”
Grimacing, Finn scratched his head and said the thing a man should never say to an angry woman. “Calm down. You’re overreacting, Red.”
“Oh, God,” muttered Evie.
“Calm down? CALM DOWN? Huh? Funny how being dismissed as a colleague, treated like an idiot, and told you’re overreacting by a man—the very man who, only hours ago, told you he loved you for the first time—can work a girl up.”
In my periphery, I saw Asher slap his hand over Teddy’s mouth to mute the he-said-he-loved-yousqueal of glee we both knew was coming.
The tears I continued to hold in burned my eyes, but I was determined that not one would fall. No, I was going to leave and hide in the restroom and cry like a mature adult. After getting my foot caught on the leg of the chair and almost falling flat on my faceagain, I made a most gracious exit and hightailed it to the restroom.
Unsurprisingly, but not wisely, Finn followed, protesting his innocence and begging me to stop. But his attempted appeals to my sense of reason were futile. Any ability I once had to appreciate logic left the building when the wordrescueleft his bestie’s mouth. I refused to even look at him, and once locked into an awful, single-stall, unisex toilet I bloody hated, I collapsed against the cold tile wall. There, safe and alone, I placed my hand over my mouth to stifle my sobs and waged war on the conflict in my mind.
Seconds later, the ginormous shadows Finn’s clown feet cast appeared beneath the door.
“Scarlett, please…”
“No. Go away. I will not put up with this. I worked in an office full of men that treated me as a dumb teenage mum and coffee girl, little more than a toy or object. I refuse to do it again, Finn. I am strong, intelligent, and talented. I don’t need my boyfriend—who, for some fucked-up reason, refuses to acknowledge me as his girlfriend to his best friend—to set me up with work. I’ve gotten where I am by myself and will bloody well get further by myself.”
“I agree with you, Red. You are all those things and more. You’re strong, talented, and bloody brilliant. I didn’t tell Jocelyn to hire you because you were a young mum I wanted to get with. Fuck, I didn’t even know about Ben then. I swear, all I did was give her my honest opinion. Your portfolio was better. I knew it, and Jocie knew it. And look! Look how it worked out in the end. It’s been amazing. We got to work together, fall in love together…”
“Oh, so now that I’m locked behind a door, crying like a freak, you can admit that you love me. I should have just thrown myself on the floor the minute you saw Nate, and we could have avoided this whole freaking nightmare!”
“Scarlett. Please don’t cry. I can’t handle you crying.”
“Why can’t I cry? I’ve seen you cry plenty.”
“Yes, but I’m a baby. You’re not.”
“Well, I guess you better leave then ‘cause I have a shitload of tears, and I can’t see them stopping any time soon.”
“No!” he growled. “I’m not going anywhere. You have to listen to me.”
I have to listen.That was it. I burst through the door and knocked Finn clean off his feet, sliding across the floor, and into the wall. The ever-present angel on my shoulder told me to reach down and help. But I flicked that sucker to the curb and went with the devil. “I’m not helping you up, and I donothave to listen. Not to anyone or anythingbutmy own conscience.”
Haughtily thrusting my head back, I left him on the floor and huffed away, dismissing the pleas of my friends as I passed our table and marched out the door.
