Page 102 of The Christmas Tree Farm
And then … maybe then she’d take Jeanie’s advice.
ChapterTwenty-Seven
Bennett had never been a big fan of New Year’s Eve, but this year it sucked extra hard. He was back in his cramped San Francisco apartment, eating Chinese food out of the carton, surrounded by his dogs, which at any other time was actually his preferred way to spend an evening, but not now. Not anymore. Not when he wanted Kira next to him more than he wanted his left arm. More than he wanted air. More than he wanted…
A knock at the door interrupted his overdramatic thoughts. He needed to get a grip.
‘Coming!’ He emerged from the dog pile, pushing animals off his lap and making his way to the door. He pulled it open and his New Year’s got a million times worse.
‘Ben! You’re alive!’
‘Shit.’
Nicole frowned, her red-painted lips turned down in a little pout. ‘What kind of greeting is that?’
Bennett sighed. He didn’t have the energy to play nice. ‘What do you want, Nic?’
‘Can I come in?’
He squeezed the bridge of his nose. ‘Sure.’
Why the hell not? Why not just dive headfirst back into his old life? Kira didn’t want him but maybe Nicole still did. At least, as much as she ever did.
Nicole wiggled by him. She was wearing a tiny black dress covered in sequins and heels tall enough to turn her five-foot-three into at least five-six. Objectively, she looked hot. Unfortunately, it was doing absolutely nothing for him. Which seemed extra unfair. He couldn’t have Kiraandshe had ruined other women for him, too? That was just cruel.
Elizabeth and Odie lifted their heads in interest, saw who it was, and decided she wasn’t worth the effort. Pudgy didn’t bother to wake up. Nicole ignored them in return. She’d never been a big fan of his little pack. And apparently, his dogs were smarter than he was. After enough rejections, they’d learned their lesson. Nicole just wasn’t that into them.
‘Well, first of all,’ she said, glancing around at the coffee table strewn with takeout cartons, and his partially unpacked suitcase by the bedroom door. ‘I was worried about you. You haven’t been answering my texts.’ She ran a hand down his arm and gave him that little smile that used to make him feel important, needed. Now it just made him feel annoyed. Annoyed at her. Annoyed at himself for not responding to it. Annoyed at Kira for breaking his brain.
‘I was away.’
‘Oh? That’s good! A little vacation is always nice.’
A little vacation. A devasting heartbreak. Very nice. Highly recommend it.
‘Well, you’ve confirmed I’m alive. So I guess you can go.’
Again, the little pout. He used to kiss it away.
‘God, Bennett. Do you treat all your friends this way?’
‘Is that what we are? Friends?’
Her pout turned into a sexy smile. ‘With benefits.’
He huffed a laugh. ‘They don’t feel like benefits anymore, Nic. It feels like you are using me when you need me and ditching me when you’re tired of me.’
Her eyes widened as he spoke, and he wondered if it was hard to open them that wide with the extra weight of her fake lashes.
‘Is that really how you feel?’
Christ. He did not want to be having this conversation right now. ‘It doesn’t matter.’
‘It does matter!’ She put a hand on her hip, cocking it out to the side indignantly.
‘Now you care about my feelings?’
‘I’ve always cared about your feelings.’
