Page 37 of Just Friends

“Look, Dustin,” she said.

“Take your hands off of her.” Weasel stood in the doorway, gripping the doorframe; he stared daggers into Dustin. And Dustin’s focus was on the badge and gun uncovered on Weasel’s hip. He’d tucked the long-sleeved t-shirt in behind his weapon. Coincidence? No. Heavy tension hung in the air and reminded her of the time before her parents divorced. An explosion was imminent. Okay, he still wanted her? Or perhaps male pride?

Dustin jumped back. “She invited me.”

“For dinner,” Rebecca stated.

Weasel took two strides straight toward his target; Rebecca stepped in between them, placing her hand on his chest trying to diffuse the situation. But Weasel grasped her shoulders and removed her from his path. He continued after Dustin who’d taken off through the dining room which also connected to the front hall.

She trailed them, “Weasel!” But she discovered that Dan blocked him and had ended the pursuit.

???

Weasel turned to find Rebecca, arms crossed, standing there. “What on earth do you think you’re doing?” she asked.

“What does it look like?”

Rebecca scowled at him. “It looks like you’re intimidating some guy just for speakingto me.” She nodded to his exposed badge and handgun. “You don’t own me, and do not get to decide who I talk to.”

“Oh, come on, you’re overreacting.” From behind, both Autumn and Hannah gasped; he’d screwed up with that. Rebecca spun on her heel and marched away. He faced the audience. “I did nothing wrong.”

The ladies gave him the “you’re a dumbass” expression.

“Dude,” Justin answered, “do you want the woman or to be right?”

And apparently, those are mutually exclusive. Weasel sighed, shook his head and followed Rebecca. He needed the damn woman, but he’d never played this game. He realized that he wasn’t playing with a complete set of instructions. He walked in on some man putting the moves on her, what the hell was he supposed to do? Sit by and let it happen? No way.

The kitchen was vacant, which meant she’d gone out the rear door. Weasel hurried through the exit; found the porch empty; hoped that she was in the garden somewhere and hadn’t made it to her car. He surveilled the property and couldn’t see her; but pursued a hunch. He picked up the trail and sure enough, she sat on the bench in the gazebo. Rounding the corner to the stairs, she stopped him.

“Don’t come up here,” Rebecca declared, breath visible, and Weasel wished for a jacket.

“Rebecca, please….” Rebecca’s cheeks were wet, and his heart squeezed, but stayed at the bottom of the steps.

“No,” she retorted and stood, pacing the floor muttering something unintelligible. “I cannot believe you acting like a Neanderthal,” she growled through gritted teeth whirling around, decision made. “I will feel the way I do, and you’re not allowed to tell me how I should feel or if it’s even valid.” Rebecca jabbed an angry finger in the air. “So don’t you dare say I’m overreacting ever again. Do you understand me? I won’t take that bullshit anymore, not from you or anyone else.”

Then, realization hit. “Kyle said that to you.” He’d told her the same thing Kyle had.

“Yeah,” she yelled, pacing again. “Every damn time I had an opinion he didn’t like. About the strip clubs or watching online porn every day, texting photos of his junk to women…’you’re overreacting’.” Her tone mocking.“Oh, and the coup d’état was the screwing around ‘cause I should just accept that and be grateful he didn’t expect me to do these things. He’d go elsewhere, and I was ‘overreacting.’ So, yeah, heard it.” Rebecca sank onto the bench and put her head in her hands. “And he’d bully me into getting his way,” she mumbled.

Weasel’s heart dropped and a ball of rage grew in his chest. He took a deep breath and released it slowly to steady the nerves. “I’m sorry.” Rebecca’s hands fell away, and she made eye contact for the first time since he arrived. He realized Kyle never apologized. That he could work with, and then he would turn this around and make everything right.

“For what?”

“First, for hurting you by what I said, even though I didn’t know. I’d never do it on purpose, ever. And two, for that asshole doing that to you.” He stepped up, and when no objection came, took another step. “You know you can talk to whoever you want. I’m not gonna presume to tell you how to feel about anything. But, if not wanting another man touching you makes me a Neanderthal, then guilty as charged.” He took the last step, crossed the gazebo, and sat next to her.

“Nothing was going to happen,” Rebecca replied.

“Oh, he was trying. No man gets that near to a woman without an ulterior motive.”

“You’re that close.”

“There’s an ulterior motive.” Weasel reached under her chin, tilted her head up, and covered her mouth with his. He relaxed when she closed her eyes and leaned in. He kissed her with everything he had, with the goal of wiping all other men from her thoughts, and he didn’t stop until they were both breathless.

“So,” Weasel wrapped an arm around Rebecca, “he actuallysaid you should be okay with him screwing around?”

Rebecca laid her head on his chest and nodded. “Told me I wasn’t adventurous enough.”

God, what a dick. “Speaking from experience, he doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”

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