Page 79 of Arse Over Irish Teacup
“I thought you needed more time here!”
“Why? I was miserable and all I wanted was to come home!” Beth stood up and started to pace. “Oh, I get it! To see if things worked out with my hunky landlord? Jeez! You’re unbelievable sometimes, you know that?” Beth swung the yellow door open and slammed it behind her.
Lauren chased after her, apologizing. “It wasn’t like that! Okay, maybe it sort of was. Roan was really nice! Sue me if I wanted you to stay a couple days to see if maybe you had found someone?” Beth whirled around in a puff of steam but Lauren didn’t back off. “Come on, you have to admit. You met in a storm, he generously offered you this house, he wasn’t scared off by your clumsiness!”
Their fight was rudely interrupted by Aidan bursting through the front door. He’d heard their shouting from the car. “Hey, hey! Let’s just get a load of mud in here so you two can really go at it! What are you two fighting about?”
Beth twirled around and focused her fury up at Aidan’s eyes. One had a purple ring underneath. Beth nearly burst into tears at the sight of him but not for the reasons he wanted. She was angry and it was all his fault! She stomped across the floor intending to have it out with him once and for all but Lauren beat her to the punch.
“You’ve got some nerve, dickhead! Where the hell have you been?” Lauren charged him and he stepped back.
“I—”
“Well? We’re waiting!”
He looked over Lauren’s shoulder at Beth. “I’m sorry?—”
“You’re sorry? You’re sorry? You’re going to be!” Lauren shouted.
“Let me handle this, Lauren. Let him speak,” Beth ordered. Lauren clamped her mouth shut and stepped away from Aidan. If he thought she was scary wait until he got a load of Bethany Spinner with a broken heart. Lauren turned her nose in the air and went outside.
“Beth, I’m sorry. I know I should have called. After I got home that night, I got this idea for a story and I started writing and I never stopped. It’s the best I’ve written in a long time and I have you to thank.”
In his hand was a stack of papers. Presumably the new book. And he could take that new book and his old one and shove them both right up his nose! “You’ve been using me? I knew it!” And just like that the light in Beth’s eyes went dim.
Beth stood flexing her hand deciding what to do.
Slap him or run away?
Slap him.
She immediately made good on the thought, marched to the front door and opened it, and held her hand out, ordering him to leave.
As Aidan walked out, Lauren slipped back inside, closing the door behind her. She went toward Beth at once. “What are you doing?”
“What do you mean?”
“Go after him!”
“Why?”
“Because you’re in love with him! And if you would quit stomping around like a billy goat stuck in a fence you would see that!”
“What? No!”
“Bethany Anne Spinner, you’ve had it bad for that man since the day you swiped him with your suitcase! Go. After. Him!”
“I can’t. I’m telling you he’s been using me this whole time! He told me himself.”
“What did he say?”
“He said he’s been writing since the other night and it’s the best he’s written in a long time and, well, then I yelled at him.”
“Why?”
“Because he’s been using me!”
“No, he has not! He said you’ve inspired him. What’s wrong with that? A guy who had given up on everything meets you and you show him things aren’t so bad.” Lauren stopped shouting. “You basically gave him his life back and now he’s in love with you.” Lauren waited for Beth to understand and smiled as she noted Beth’s dawning look of comprehension.
