Page 63 of The One I Hate
“Hello, Simon,” I say without making eye contact. I see him approaching, but I don’t give him the satisfaction of looking at him.
“Are you just getting into town? Where are you living, by the way? Are we neighbors? That would be fun. Also, do you plan onghosting me again? It’s happened twice now, so I’d just like to be prepared if you think it’s going to become a regular thing.”
Breathe. This is what he does. Don’t let him get under your skin on day one.
I turn and square my shoulders. I need to remember that my goal here is to make him watch my success. That’s not going to happen if I cower to him out of the gate.
“To answer your questions in order: Yes. None of your business. God, I hope not. And no, I’m not. But that’s more because I don’t plan on ever, and I mean ever, touching you again.”
Boom. Yes. That felt good. Strong. Not the wimpy girl crushing on the hot guy. Or the drunk girl who was…well, just drunk.
Except that feeling of confidence starts to dim as Simon’s cocky smile forms on his stupidly handsome face.
“You know I’m going to find out where you live, right?”
“I don’t care.” I say as confidently as I can. “It’s a small town. It’ll happen when it does.”
Simon looks into my open trunk, then toward the restaurant, then back to me. “Are you living in the kitchen? I don’t think it would be very comfortable, though you could probably get a cot to fit in there. Do you have a cot? Do you want me to call my cot guy?”
I raise an eyebrow. “You have a cot guy?”
“You don’t?”
I just shake my head and turn to start grabbing totes out of the trunk when I feel Simon slide up next to me.
“What are you doing?”
“Helping.”
“Who asked you to help?”
“I thought I’d be a gentle—I thought I’d be a nice guy.”
I slam the car door shut, nearly taking off Simon’s hands as he hurries and lifts a tote. “Please leave me alone. Stop whatever this is that you’re doing. You think this is cute. It’s not.”
“Sorry, Bug, can’t do that. You live in my town. We’re going to see each other. Like I said, I’m your Norm, so you should get used to this.”
“Why do you insist on making my life miserable?”
He shakes his head. “I don’t wanna make your life miserable. I want us to be friends. Best friends, maybe with benefits. You have to admit, the benefits were pretty good…”
“What’s your point, Simon?”
“Sorry. Answers.”
“Answers?”
“Yes. Answers. You have the answers I want, and until I get them, you’re going to have to put up with me every day.”
I drop the tote I’m holding and throw my hands on my hips. This man is unbelievable.
“The fact that you don’t know the answer is laughable.”
“I surely don’t know what you mean.”
“You want answers? Well, guess what, buddy, so do I. Because you think I started this, but it was you.”
Wow. That stopped him in his tracks.
