Page 124 of Faking It With the Small-Town Bad Boy

intimate for the first time together, and you grew up in this shop with

me—with my father and me. I’m just confused about why you think

that would warrant a friendship. He died, and you left to seek

another woman. After ten years, I expected a little more respect than

that.”

His eyes are wide while I speak, and I know this may be the first time

this has all crossed his mind, but it needs to be said. He has to know

why I’m upset, or why I was.

Things have changed, and I have Percy to thank for that.

“I’m sorry I hurt you,” he says into his hand, the sound muffled so

much I almost miss the words. Looking up from the floor, his cold

eyes meet mine, and I sting with heat. He looks genuine right now,

and while I’m not good at reading his expressions, my eyes are good

enough to see the dampness in his eyelids. “I didn’t want to hurt you,

Leah. I never wanted to hurt you. But this just happened so fast with

Farrah, and…”

He stops talking, his words slowing while a new sound comes into

view. Percy’s car is coming down the driveway. It stops just behind

Ryan’s, the tattooed lead singer hurrying out of the front seat and

coming to the shop where I freeze under Ryan’s cautious look.

“Hey, what’s going on in here?” Percy asks something stiff about his

tone. “Ryan.”

“Percy,” my ex-boyfriend mutters. “Nice to see you here.”

“Wish I could say the same.”

I stand tentatively in the middle. It’s not that I think these guys will

duke it out, which would be a rare form of entertainment for this

town, but I don’t like the way they look at one another. It’s so

accusatory and spiteful. The deal I have with Percy is to save face, but

we have interests of selfish spite in mind, too. I don’t want Ryan to

hurt, but seeing him uncomfortable with Percy coming to my side is a

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