Page 20 of A Flighty Fake Boyfriend
“Food.” Epic turned toward the snack shack, but I maneuvered him out of the park with the promise of a nice lunch at a restaurant with a bar. At the car, I rested my back against the sun-hot metal of the driver’s side door and took out my smokes.
Epic eyed me. “You really need to do that?”
“For now? Yes.”
“Why? Are you that nervous about this wedding?”
“I’m not real comfortable with the invite, but that’s not why I smoke.”
He mirrored me, leaning against the car and looking up, watching each exhaled smoke cloud waft away. “So I’m assuming you’re not in the wedding.”
“What makes you say that?”
“Well, you wouldn’t be in a wedding you were uptight about, would you? Unless your sister was marrying someone you hate. Or your mom. Who’s getting married?”
“My ex.”
“Ooooh.” He winced. “It’s totally reasonable to get uptight over that.”
“I’m not uptight. I said I’m uncomfortable.”
“Okay, let’s break that down. Who broke up with whom?”
I bit back the reply that it was none of his business. “It was a mutual decision.”
“Actually mutual? Or like,you can’t fire me because I quit.”
“Okay, it was mostly mutual.” I took another drag. “I work a lot.”
“So?”
“So, I was dating the billionaire scion of a Spanish noble family, and he liked everything to revolve around him.”
Epic widened his eyes. “Meow.”
“Yeah, well. I’m probably a tiny bit bitter.”
“Isn’t it weird he invited you to his wedding?”
I took another drag on the cigarette. “Yes.”
“So you think, what, he just wants to rub your nose in the fact he’s marrying someone else?”
“I don’t know what there is to rub my nose in. He’s a catch. The guy probably loves him.”
“And you’re going to prove you aren’t drowning in despair over the loss, right?”
“I never drowned. It’s been years since we were together.”
“How many?”
“Six”
“That’s a lot of years.”
“Enough to find his one true love, I guess.” For me the time had gone by so quickly I’d barely had time to get used to the idea he wasn’t around.
“You have to walk that bitterness back, Ryan, or he’s going to smell it all over you.”
