Page 15 of Good at Being Bad (Rock Canyon, Idaho 8)

“I’m serious. I feel like you took Mike’s rejection really hard considering you’re not even into the guy.”

Of course, she wasn’t into Mike Stevens. If she was going to moon over some guy it would be someone worthy, like Ian Somerhalder.

“I don’t know. Maybe I’m just not used to guys passing up all I have to offer,” Ellie said, teasingly.

Jenny laughed. “He probably didn’t want to take advantage of a drunk girl in a bar. He’s a really great guy. I know you two haven’t really clicked, but maybe if you called a truce, you could work out your issues and be friends. At least acquaintances who don’t want to slice each other up.”

“Yeah, I know, everyone loves Mike. Mike’s so great.”

“Okay, whatever cranky pants, I am going to bed,” Jenny said.

“I love you!” Ellie called.

“I love you, too.”

Ellie went into her bedroom and changed into a pair of plaid pajama shorts and a T-shirt, but she wasn’t quite ready for bed. Her brain kept turning over the events of the night and with a heavy sigh, she went into the kitchen.

As she pulled down the ingredients for white chocolate fudge cookies, she mulled over what it would mean to put aside her grudge against Mike. After embarrassing him at the bar, there was no way he’d make the first move.

He’d told her to pick up her computer tomorrow. Maybe she could convince him to forgive her with an apology and a plate of cookies.

He wouldn’t say no to that, right?

The sound of twisted metal crunched around him as the car flipped over and over, bouncing him with every impact. His leg cracked and he screamed in pain as the car hit the canal.

Only it was full of water.

This wasn’t right. There wasn’t supposed to be…

Water broke through the windows, rushing in and he couldn’t breathe. He opened his mouth to call for help and his mouth filled with liquid. He struggled with his seat belt but it was locked.

He was going to die.

Mike jolted up in bed, gasping for breath. His body was covered in perspiration and his left leg ached where he’d broken it a little over a year ago. In a car wreck similar to the one in the dream.

Only when he hit the canal in real life, it had been empty.

He didn’t know what the water meant, but it was the third time in a month he’d had this nightmare and he was done. There was no way he was going back to sleep now.

He climbed out of bed and headed to the kitchen. A middle-of-the-night snack was just what he needed.

Once he finished creating his double decker turkey sandwich on wheat, he sat down at the table. He snapped open the can of Coke he’d grabbed, and took a sip. His gaze strayed to Ellie’s laptop and contemplated it while he ate.

If he fixed the computer, it could be the perfect segue way for a truce between them. It took too much energy to fight with her, anyway.

Next to the laptop was the little notebook and he flipped it open, reading as he chewed.

Rule number one…

Mike grinned. A book with rules to follow? He could get behind that.

Chapter Six

Bits and Pieces Computer Repair was Ellie’s first order of business after breakfast on Monday morning, but didn’t see Mike anywhere. She had her apology cookies in hand, ready to let bygones be. Sure, Mike hadn’t exactly been an angel toward her, but two wrongs didn’t make a right, and she knew it.

Plus, that gossip column yesterday from Miss Know-It-All did not paint her in a favorable light. Over the past twenty-four hours, the columnist’s words had popped into her head, making her wince every time.

Former Bad Girl Ellie Willis Goes Full-On Drama Queen!

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