Page 169 of Unexpected Redemption

I halt my rambling when my voice quavers and threatens to break. My watery eyes fall to the floor.

She harrumphs quietly. “Well, fuck.”

When I look up, her hostility has waned. A pout rests on her lips. However, her eyebrow is still arched to impressive heights.

She clicks her tongue a few times, then stands. When I don’t join her, she waves her hands at me. “Get up.”

Stella doesn’t seem like thehug-it-outtype. But whatever.

Once I’m on my feet, she balls her tiny hands into fists and holds them in front of her face. Her black nail polish is a stark contrast to her alabaster skin. The black liner around the outside of her lips adds to the humor of her pose, especially since her upper lip is curled into a snarl.

So yeah, she’s not intending to hug it out.

“I’m not going to fight you, Stella.”

Playfully, she bobs from side to side like a boxer. “No? Let’s see if you can take a punch. Where do you want it?”

“Are you serious? I can’t tell if you’re kidding.”

Her feet freeze, bouncing halted. But she keeps her fists up. “I’m serious. I want to give you one punch. You choose where. Then we can put this behind us. That’s my condition.”

Fuck it.

I fling my arms to the side. “Stomach.”

“Hard as I want?” she asks.

“Yeah.”

“Disclaimer. If you cry like a little bitch, I won’t forgive you.”

I can’t hold back an annoyed sigh or a pointed eye roll. “Just get it over with so we can enjoy the evening.”

She sizes up her target and rears back like she’s going for a world record punch. Pinching one eye closed, I clench my abs to brace for impact.

Right before connecting with my stomach, she freezes, hovering her fist an inch away from me. Other than my eyes widening in shock, I don’t move.

“Son of a bitch,” she grumbles, then straightens her frame. “You didn’t even flinch.”

“Um. Sorry?”

She puts her fists on her hips and closes the distance between us. Tilting her chin up, she tries to look me in the eyes despite being a fraction of my size. It’s sort of endearing, much like one finds a pissy chihuahua charming.

“You were gonna take that punch without complaint, weren’t you?”

“Of course I was. Still would.”

“Why?”

“For Lettie.”

Her eyes are barely larger than creases as she slumps her head toward her ear, silently asking me to continue.

“Lettie will be happier if we get rid of the tension between us. Taking a few swings from you is a small price to pay for even a sliver of her happiness.”

Seeming offended, Stella drops her jaw and lowers her forehead. “Come on, man. How rude!”

“What did I say?”

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