Page 32 of The B!tch List

As I left the Memorial Hall, I saw Shaw leaning against the wall and wondered what had bitten his ass because he was kicking at the ground with the toe of his boot.

“Evening,” I mumbled as I walked past with my head down. “Nice performance again.”

“Yep, I know.”

Conceited idiot. He didn’t even seem embarrassed by his declaration. I carried on walking half expecting some lame ass insult but there was nothing. When I reached the edge of the sidewalk, I twisted to look over my shoulder. Shaw was still looking down at the ground and ignoring me. Shrugging I continued walking and made my way across the high street and close by to Jacob’s print shop. The light was on, and I could see that he was in there. He was bending over the counter and had his head in his hands. Since his wife left him and his son JJ just over a couple of years back, he’d been doing okay. Better than okay in fact. He was running his business, bringing up JJ, with the help of Lily, and had even started to coach the Junior Valliant’s, Dayton Valley’s under ten’s soccer team. The last couple of weeks though he’d started to look like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. I contemplated knocking on the window to check if he was okay, but when he picked up his phone and started to talk into it, I decided to continue home.

The night was warm, with a soft breeze, so I took the long route home. I kind of wished I hadn’t when I walked past the parking lot of the feed store and saw Hunter’s truck parked up. For an instant I wondered why the hell it was there at ten at night, but when I saw the windows were steamed up and it was rocking from side to side I knew why. My thoughts were compounded when I heard Ellie yell, “Oh my God, that’s it, impregnate me, baby.” It struck me that they had their own house so why on earth were they in a corner of a parking lot in town? Then I realized it was Hunter and Ellie so there would be no logical reason.

Giggling to myself I carried on home relishing in the fact that I actually loved the little town that I lived in. The residents were a weird bunch of people, but they were my people and I loved them too.

“You took your time.”

I looked over to where the voice was coming from and almost screamed. Leaning against the wall of my apartment building was the last person that I expected to see…

“Minnesota! What the hell are you doing here?”

He pushed away from the wall, stretching out his long limbs to stride toward me. His dark blond hair was a little longer than it had been before he left, but I guess he had been travelling the world.

“I missed you, darlin’,” he said, running a hand through said hair and giving me his trademark ‘I’m going give you the night of your life’ smirk.

“I repeat, what the hell are you doing here?”

“Came to see you.”

I looked up to the dark sky and mentally counted to ten. If I didn’t, I’d be likely to slap him across his damn face. Also, looking away from him meant that I didn’t need to look into his gorgeous brown eyes. I’d lost count the things he’d made me do just by looking at me. Bracing myself for the fall out, I lowered my gaze to Minnesota’s.

“Does your fiancée know that you’re here?” I asked, crossing my arms over my chest.

At least he had the decency to look away with embarrassment. “Can we at least go inside.”

He had to be joking. If we went inside, then I was damn sure he’d end up inside me and I did not want to be that woman.

“No. Just tell me what you want?”

“I want to talk to you.”

He reached out to touch me, but I took a step back. “We have nothing to talk about. You dumped me beforewewere supposed to go traveling. And you then went and got yourself engaged to some girl who eats cucumber sandwiches and drinks tea with her pinkie in the air.”

He frowned. “She eats what now?”

“What she eats isn’t important.” I waved him away. “What is important is the fact that you’re engaged, Minnesota. You’re engaged yet are standing here telling me that you missed me and want to talk, when I know exactly what that means.”

“And what does it mean?” Now I was getting the ‘damn you’re cute and I wanna fuck you’, grin.

Huffing out a breath I scrubbed my hands down my face. “God you are so frustrating. You think you can just strut back here and pick up where you left off before you left me. Left me to go alone on the trip that I should point out, I organized the itinerary for. Then on that that trip you set up a new life in London and get engaged to someone. Someone who you’ve known for amonth.” I blinked rapidly. “We were together for almost two years, and not once did you suggest that we get engaged. Not once, Minnesota.”

“I know,” he sighed. “And I’m sorry that I took you for granted. If you want to be engaged, then—”

“No!” I held up my hand urging him to shut up. “I do not want to be engaged and certainly not to you.”

He had the damn nerve to look affronted. LikeI’dhurthisfeelings.

“But why?” he asked in his whiny, teenage boy who just got his PlayStation confiscated voice.

“Because,” I replied, equally as teenager-y.

“At least think about giving me a second chance.” He actually pouted. “Please.”

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