Page 48 of Good Girl

“This is fine. Just hurry up.” As much as I didn’t want to be here, I wasn’t going to pass up the chance to make him pay for my lunch.

The clerk behind the counter studied us both with a tired look that didn’t match the fake smile plastered on her lips. We’d been standing here for twenty minutes as Jonathan battered her with questions about sandwiches and ingredients. I could only offer her a sympathetic smile each time she made eye contact with me.

Jonathan lifted a brow in disbelief, and just like that, I was jerked back to my teenage years. Every time he invited me out somewhere, it was met with judgment, and I could never relax and have a good time. The silver lining of that reminder was the realization that Derek and the others had never once made me feel judged.

I couldn’t wait to get back to the city.

Jonathan grumbled under his breath and finally settled on a simple sandwich. The clerk couldn’t hide her sigh of relief that it was finally over, and I felt that in my own soul. While it wasn’t fair to compare people, everything about Jonathan just seemed worse now that I had someone to line him up against. As he paid, I slipped what money I had from my pockets into the tip jar as a way of apology for his behavior, then I led the way out of the shop and turned up the street to head back to the inn.

“Charlotte, wait.” Jonathan caught my elbow, and I immediately jerked my arm away.

“What?”

“Don’t you want to sit and eat?” Behind me, he swept an arm and indicated the outdoor sitting area. While it would be nice to sit and eat, I couldn’t do that with him.

“I prefer to walk,” I replied.

“Ahh.” Jonathan nodded knowingly. “Burn more calories that way. Good thinking.”

Heat and irritation flushed down my spine, and I abruptly turned away from him and started walking. There was no point countering what he said. I’d had that argument with him too many times. It was hard to believe I had ever thought I was in love with this guy. Maturing was realizing that I was just attention-starved and that he was with me because he thought I waseasy.

“Why are you here, Jonathan?” I asked as we started to walk up the hill. “Why are you really here?”

“What do you mean? I’m getting lunch?” His wiry brows pulled together, and I bit back an annoyed groan.

“We broke up. I was pretty clear that I didn’t want to see you or spend time with you, and moving to the city was supposed to prevent that. It’s been what, two years? And now you’re here, planning lunch trips with my mother?” I distracted myself by unscrewing the cap on my water bottle. “What are you after?”

“Well...” Jonathan began unwrapping his sandwich, falling into step beside me. “I wanted to apologize. For what happened back at the store.”

“You mean when you tried to break my wrist because you were pissed about things that havenothingto do with you?” I remarked. I focused on drinking my water so I didn’t have to look at him.

“I wasn’t trying to break your wrist.” Jonathan sighed. “I was just trying to get you to listen to me. Anyway, it’s whatever. I wanted to say sorry.”

“You should say sorry for our entire relationship. The whole thing was youtryingnot to be an asshole and failing.” Another drink, and I capped the water slowly, doing everything I could not to look at him. The sooner I got back to the inn, the better.

“That’s not fair.” Jonathan scoffed. “We had a great time.”

“Did we?” I finally sent him a glance. “We remember things very differently.”

“Go on, then.” Irritation was starting to leak into his tone, and I glanced up the hill, calculating how much longer I would have to entertain him.

“What?”

“Tell me what was so bad about our relationship.”

“Jonathan.” My own irritation began to bud into anger, and the water bottle crackled under my grip. “When we broke up, I did exactly that! I told you how much I hated your attitude, how crass and callous you were about my appearance. How you were always disregarding my rule of no sex because you were horny. And you know, that and the fact that youcheatedon me are all pretty big fucking reasons.”

“It wasn’t cheating—”

“Yes you were!” I came to a stop and rounded on him. “All of it was awful, and I am glad it’s over. You should move on, Jonathan. It’ll be healthier for you.”

“Oh, like you have?” Jonathan sneered, and his eyes darkened dangerously in a way similar to the stern look he had given me back in the store.

“What?”

“Am I supposed to believe that it’s just a coincidence that your professor swooped in to help you that day? That he wasn’t following you like some lost puppy?”

“Fuck’s sake,” I groaned, and my heart began to race. “We aren’t in high school anymore, Jonathan. Teachers are different in college, and he stepped in because he saw an uncomfortable situation. And to beclear, I didn’t need saving because you’re pathetic...” I trailed off as a cold sensation swept over me and goosebumps followed. “How... do you know he was a teacher?”

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