Page 13 of Beautiful, Violent

“Holly and I broke up last month.”

“What? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Nothing to tell. We just decided to go our separate ways.”

He and Holly were together for two or three years. I never got the impression that he was nuts about her, but still. That’s a long time to be someone’s other half.

“Who dumped whom?”

His mouth tightens as he keeps his attention outside, shaking his head.

“So she dumped you. Got it.”

He shoots me a look. Okay, he’s really in a mood. “You millennials pay attention to that sort of shit. Once you get to my age, it doesn’t matter who does the breaking up.”

I pull back. “Who the hell are you calling a millennial? Gen Z right here, bud.You’rethe millennial.”

He moves his eyes over me, down to my chest, then back up to my face. “You act more like a millennial.”

Knowing Rigger the way I do, I know he means that as a compliment.

“Well, what reason did she give?” I ask, dipping a finger in my latte and swirling the foam on top.

He lets out a manly sigh. “She wanted to get married.”

“Pfft. Has she met you?”

“Apparently not.” Rigger has sworn off marriage. Says the whole institution is a crock of shit. Doesn’t even really believe in monogamy. Anyone who’s had a 5-minute conversation with him knows that. And now that I’m thinking about it, given his whole anti-monogamy/anti-marriage lifestyle, I’m surprised he and Holly lasted as long as they did. Still, he seems a little hurt. Though if it’s been a month, he might have something else on his mind.

“Well, must be something in the air because Devin dumped me last night.”

He regards me softly, like I’m breakable. “I’m sorry.”

I shrug. “I deserved it. Probably.”

“Don’t take this the wrong way but I saw that one coming.”

“Would have been nice to have a heads-up.” I teasingly punch him in the arm and he winces in mock hurt.

“Maybe if you were more in touch with your feminine side …”

“What. I can’t be feminineandbring men to their knees? Gah …” I belt out a laugh. He’s referring to this one guy who used those exact words last year right before ghosting me. He didn’t like that I was able to pin him to the wall and take him to the ground with no warning. I just wanted to see what kind of man I was up against before going on a date with him. I found out pretty fast.

Rigger shakes his head, wearing a smirk. “What went down with you two anyway?”

“Me and Dev?”

He nods, eyes sweet and curious. I love this side of him, the side that cares about what’s going on in my life.

“Wish I knew.”

“You must have some idea. Or is it one of those things where she said ‘it’s not you it’s me.’”

“Lesbians don’t do that with each other. They’re way too direct.”

“They? So you’re not a lesbian anymore?”

“I never was a lesbian. I was more …” I start to say heteroflex but I hate that word. Really, I’m just sick of everyone having to label themselves.

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