Page 56 of So in Love
He ran his hand over his jaw.“Nah, just lazy.You want to come in?”
“Duh, I’m here, aren’t I?”She looked at him quizzically.This was not the flirty guy she knew.
He opened the door wider and walked down the hallway.
She frowned.What had she expected?Him to sweep her up in a hug and kiss her senseless?Yeah, that would’ve been nice.
She closed the door and followed him into the kitchen.The TV was on in the other room, but he stood at the counter, his hand curled around a beer.
“You just get back today?”he asked.
“Earlier this afternoon.I met with Darryl and then had some work to do with Alaina.Then I came straight here.”
He nodded, somewhat distractedly, and sipped his beer.She noticed he didn’t offer her one.
“Is everything all right?”she asked, setting her phone and key fob on the counter.
“Yep.Just tired.I’ve been working a lot.”
“I see.”She’d never felt awkward around him before—except for after New Year’s Eve, which had been entirely her fault.He made her feel comfortable and good.“Is this a bad time?Maybe I should go.”
“Actually, that’s probably good.I have an early day tomorrow.”
It wasn’t even seven o’clock.Clearly something was wrong.Was he mad at her?“I’m getting the sense that you’re ticked at me or something.”
He sipped his beer, his gaze flicking from her to the TV.“Nope.I’m good.”
She frowned.“You don’t seem good.”
“Look, Crystal, I don’t owe you any explanations.I wasn’t expecting you tonight.”
She crossed her arms over her chest, starting to feel annoyed.More than annoyed.“You invited me in.Do I need to set a date?I thought we weren’t dating.”
“We aren’t, which is exactly why this conversation is stupid.I’m tired.I want to zone out in front of the TV with a beer.I don’t want to stand here and explain myself to you.Nor do I expect you to explain your behavior to me.”
She unfolded her arms and narrowed her eyes briefly.“What behavior?”
He took a few steps away from the counter into the living room before turning back to face her.“I saw you on TV the other night with that actor.Looks like you’ve been seeing him awhile.I know our thing—whatever you want to call it—was casual, but I don’t do…thatwith more than one person at a time.My bad for not discussing that with you up front.”
He thought she’d been cheating on him?But wait, she couldn’t cheat on a guy she wasn’t having a relationship with.
“He’s not my boyfriend.We dated a few years ago.We’re just friends.”
“You didn’t look like you were just friends.I saw a picture of you snuggling at a restaurant like two months ago.”
She exhaled, but the tension in her shoulders remained.“From time to time, I go places with him if he wants to throw people off—the paparazzi, I mean.It’s a stupid game.”
He looked a bit bewildered, then closed his eyes and briefly shook his head.“I don’t want to play games.And like I said, you don’t have to explain anything to me.”
No, she didn’t.The apology she’d been forming died on her tongue.“You’re right.”She reached for her key fob, but her hands were shaking and she knocked it to the floor.Bending down, she plucked it up and turned toward the door in one fluid motion.“See you around, Jamie.”
She let herself out and hurried to the stairs, not wanting to wait for the elevator.He didn’t come after her.
The fact that she noticed didn’t bother her nearly as much as the fact that she cared.
A lot.
He was a dick.
