Page 82 of Loved By The Bad Boy

“Benny,” I try to interrupt, but he cuts me a glare.

Ben doesn’t waste time replying to Olivia’s greetings. “Did Noah put up that video of Gracie?” Olivia replies in a quiet, ‘Yes,’ and he runs the heel of his palm over his forehead. “Why didn’t you tell me?” He cuts the call before she says anything in her defense, and his dark gaze flicks to my face. I open my mouth to say something. “You knew he was the one and didn’t tell me.”

“I didn’t know until Olivia told me,” I murmur.

“And you still didn’t tell me.”

“Sorry,” I say, almost a whisper. Clenching the steering, he releases his breath in slow, short pants. “Don’t be mad.”

“I’m not mad at you, Gracie, but I’m super disappointed at you for keeping it away from me.” My throat dries. I can appease him if he’s angry, but he’s disappointed. He unclenches his fist and opens the door. Faking a smile, he puts a foot outside. “Give me a minute. I’ll be right back.”

“Benny.”

“Just wait for me!” We stare at each other for a solid minute. He hasn’t raised his voice at me in such a long time. I expect him to apologize for yelling, but he mutters, “I’ll be back. Wait here.”

The door closes, and his stiff figure marches to the eatery. I have an idea what will happen once he goes in, but I don’t think Noah is worth the fight. My feet rap against the floor. I count under my breath until the glass door opens. Ben storms toward the car and wrenches the door open.

Shoulders tense, fingers rigid, Ben misses the keyhole twice, and curses. I reach for the key to help, but he sends me a glare that evokes a shiver from me. The engine groans to life. He pulls out of the eatery without saying a word to me. I draw lines on the car floor, struggling to remain calm.

“Benny.”

“I need to cool off,” he answers.

My breath rushes out of my lungs, and my head bobs shakily. I start counting. One. Two… two hundred and fifty. He hasn’t said a word. We shouldn’t be having a fight over someone like that.

“I already said I’m sorry for not telling you,” I mutter.

No reply. I continue from where I stopped counting but get distracted and focus on Josef’s house in the distance. If the roles were reversed, would I be upset? The car slows in front of the house. Ben rushes to my side to open the door and leaves before I can speak. He is taking this too far.

Maddie is in the living room watching a soap opera when I step inside. She gestures to the stairs, and I shrug. Her son is overreacting. I hug her briefly and follow the path my boyfriend took.

Ben is pacing inside. I lower my purse to the table and settle down on the bed. He stops pacing.

“I don’t understand why you’re letting him get away with posting that video.” I adjust my weight on the bed without uttering a word. Ben slaps the back of his hand over his palm continuously. “You were so sure it was Olivia until you found out it wasn’t her, and you didn’t even tell me.”

“Well…” I let my shoulder drop in a careless shrug. That must have annoyed him. He offers me a tight smile, and I hug myself. “I didn’t think it was a big deal back then, Benny. Your trial was about to happen. There was so much going on at that point. I didn’t want to bother you, babe.”

“It wouldn’t have been a bother.” Maybe I should have said something earlier. The exhaustion I tried to hide resurfaces. I nod again. “You should have told me, babe. You were protecting him.”

The harshness of his voice knots something in my chest. Fine, I was wrong, but I have been the best girlfriend to him these past weeks, and he’s going to hold something as silly as this over me?

Is he even really mad because I didn’t tell him or because Olivia got beaten up instead of Noah?

I march to the closet to bring out my bag. He can get mad all he wants while I pack. “Well, I’m sorry, Benny,” I say when I feel his gaze on my back. “But it has happened. Just deal with it.”

“I already did.” An air of calm fury hangs over him. It has been too long since I witnessed his anger, much less being the recipient. “Noah belongs in the same category as my stepsister, and you don’t protect people like that. Someone like that will stab you in the back without remorse.”

His point is moot. Noah already “stabbed me in the back”. I thought we were friends or maybe cool with each other. But I have learned, and I don’t need another reminder. He needs to relax.

“It’s unfair that you hit Olivia for something you let him get away with. He bullied you too.”

Anger shimmers under the surface. I try to push down the irritation, but it bubbles to the top. I shoot to my feet, hands clenched at my sides, as I yell, “Well, you bullied me too, and here we are!”

Hurt contorts his features, and the anger that once sat in those blue eyes dissolves. He whispers, “I already apologized, Gracie. And I have been nothing but a good boyfriend to you.” I shouldn’t have said that, but I will not apologize to him when he is being this way. We are fighting over something so stupid it’s not even worth mentioning. “Are we really going back to that now?”

“Apparently, since you’re so hung up on the fact that I didn’t punch Noah for posting the video.” My chest sags, and I run my fingers through my hair. “It has happened. Please move on already.”

“Gracie.” I ignore him and continue shoving clothes into my bag without folding them properly. God. He’s so annoying. I need to cool off. I dump the clothes and start for the door, but he blocks my path. I stifle the urge to scream at him. “We are still talking, Gracie. You can’t just leave.”

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