Page 8 of The Problem with Perfect

Lifting my glass to my mouth, I fight the urge to sneer at him. Two dozen beers on tap, and he goes with Coors?

Bellamy makes quick work of snagging a glass and tilting it under the tap, her eyes zeroed in on where it slowly fills the pint.

“Hey, listen,” Connor starts, and I already have a bad feeling about whatever is going to come out of his mouth just based on his tone. “I hope I didn’t upset you the other night. With Stace.”

Bellamy blinks a few times but keeps her gaze on the beer as she finishes pouring, sets a coaster on the bar, and thunks the glass down on top of it.

“What do you mean?” she asks, that same saccharine look on her face.

“Oh, you know, just…” He pauses and glances at me for a second but still continues. “…I know you’ve had, you know, a crush on me for a while…”

My eyebrows rise, and I watch as Bellamy’s jaw drops just slightly.

“…and last summer was a bit of fun, for sure. But I just wanted to make sure you didn’t take the news too hard. About the engagement.”

A beat goes by. And then another one.

Suddenly, Bellamy breaks into laughter, but it’s not her real laugh. No—herreallaughter is that barely-breathing, gasping-for-air thing she did in my car last night, or the little giggle she just gave me a second ago.

Thislaugh is high-pitched and uncomfortable and draws the attention of just about everyone around us.

“Connor, you are so funny,” she says, planting her hands on her hips. “I am not atallupset about you and Stace. I’m very happy for you.”

I glance at the man next to me, and I can tell he’s anything but convinced.

“Besides, I’m not sure my boyfriend would be happy to hear about this supposed crush,” she continues, laughing dramatically again. “He’ll get a hoot out of this story when I tell him.”

Connor watches Bellamy with amusement, and it really pisses me off. Clearly, she’s had feelings for this guy, and he’s sitting hereenjoyinghow uncomfortable she is about the whole thing, his engagement and whatever.

What a prick.

“I didn’t realize you were dating someone,” he replies, tilting his head and examining her. “Is it serious?”

She nods. “Very.”

“Funny…I feel like someone would have mentioned if another one of the Mitchell girls got into a serious relationship. You should have heard my mom going on and on about Briar and Andy last year.” He chuckles. “Drove Keegan nuts.”

That’s because your sister was trying to make a play for Andy, you dumb shit.That’s what I want to say, but I keep my mouth firmly closed.

“Yeah, well…we’ve been keeping it under wraps, wanting to make sure it’s real before we talk to anyone about it.”

Connor nods, but it’s clear he doesn’t believe her. I don’t envy her with this hole she’s digging, and I can’t imagine how she’s going to climb her way out of it without making herself look…

“But I guess it’s finally time to tell everyone, Rusty.”

Her words cut my thought off in the middle, and I blink a few times, trying to understand what she just said.

“He’s been so cautious,” she continues. “Not wanting to upset anyone because of, you know, the fact that he’s friends with my brother and everything. But, yeah…”

There’s a beat of silence from Connor, and I just keep staring at Bellamy, who is looking at me with a hint of desperation clouding her eyes.

“You’re…dating…Rusty.”

There’s a thick layer of disbelief in Connor’s voice, and when I finally turn to look at him, I see a completely different expression on his face than was just there a moment ago. Gone is the cocky, incredibly arrogant prick who was sitting next to me, and in his place is, well…still a prick, but one who looks a lot more uncertain. Almost like he doesn’t like the idea of me dating Bellamy.

Well, I don’t like the idea either, but Idolike the idea of putting this little shit in his place. Before I can think better of it, I’m muttering two words I’m almost certain I’ll regret.

“She is.”

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