Page 36 of Sincerely Not Yours

“Gigi! Long time, no see!” Keith’s voice dripped with arrogance, and he teetered a bit. It was probably not his first cocktail of the night. The woman under his arm was dressed in an oddly short dress, considering it was freezing outside. She looked confused, but was smiling, crushed against his chest.

“Hey, Keith.” Gigi acknowledged him curtly, her tone devoid of the warmth she’d shown Harris all night.

“This is my fiancée, Apple,” Keith said, giving the blonde woman a hefty squeeze.

“Apple?” Gigi asked. Harris also wondered if he’d heard the name correctly.

“Yeah, like the fruit,” Apple bubbled. “Keith calls me his little Appletini. And he’s my Keithy-poo.” She laughed, staring adoringly up at Keith. Harris cringed.

“We’re celebrating our engagement.” Keith reached down and tugged Apple’s arm up, practically shoving an enormous ring in Gigi’s face.

“Oh.” Gigi’s head jerked back, like she’d been pushed. “Congratulations.”

“Thanks. I can’t wait to marry this one.” Keith lost his balance and stepped to the side. He took Apple with him. “And you know how opposed to marriage I’ve always been. Right, Gigi?”

Gigi’s jaw tightened. The flash of anger and hurt in her eyes was unmistakable. At least to Harris. Keith, on the other hand, seemed oblivious. Or he was enjoying her pain. Harris sat up straight, disgusted at either option.

“I can’t believe I finally found someone to tie me down,” Keith continued, giving Apple a shake like she was a rag doll. “My little Appletini.”

Keith’s blatant insensitivity made Harris’s stomach roll, but he tamped down the urge to tell the guy to kick rocks. Instead, he leaned closer to Gigi. He placed a reassuring hand on her arm, wanting her to know he was here for support.

“Congratulations,” Harris said evenly, keeping his tone civil. “We were just in the middle of trivia,” he added, cuing Keith and Apple to go about their way.

Keith’s eyes flicked to Harris, sizing him up. “Who’s this?” A smug smile played on his lips. Harris’s fingers itched to whack it off.

But before Harris could answer, Gigi replied with, “This is my boyfriend.”

Harris’s heart stopped. It took a second for Gigi’s words to register, but when he caught her gaze, it was all the confirmation he needed. Through a silent stare, Gigi pleaded for him to play along. A surge of adrenaline coursed through his veins, and he turned his head, meeting Keith’s entitled gaze head-on.

“That’s right,” Harris chimed in with a wide smile. “I’m Gigi’s boyfriend, Harris.”

Chapter Fifteen

Gigi thought she’d be fine when Keith walked over. After all, getting him out of her life was a blessing—one she could only see in hindsight. But having him rub his engagement in her face, with no regard to her feelings, brought her back to that restaurant on Valentine’s Day, when she’d been abandoned and humiliated. An old wound ripped open, but it wasn’t because she wanted anything to do with Keith. His disregard had exposed her deep-seated fear of not being chosen, of not being good enough. She’d wanted to be with Keith, no matter how insane that sounded to her now. But he’d obviously been holding out for someone prettier, skinnier, and at least ten years younger than her.

Hurt washed through her. She had a strong urge to tell Keith off, but the words got stuck in her throat. And when Harris put his hand on her arm, she turned to him, pausing when she foundhis gaze a deeper green than she was used to. The strong lines of his face had gone sharp. His broad shoulders had somehow widened. He looked intense, menacing, like he might really drag Keith out in the back alley.

Her heart quivered. Was he concerned? Protective? Of her? Gigi knew what a catch Harris was—kind, intelligent, and incredibly handsome. He was a real man. Someone that would stand up for her, even if it was just as friends.

A crazy impulse shot through her, and it went straight to her mouth.

“This is my boyfriend,” Gigi announced, wanting Keith and his fruity fiancée to know she was worthy of someone who truly cared for her, someone like Harris. Though as soon as the lie escaped her, fear gripped her chest, especially as Harris’s eyes widened. She hadn’t thought through the repercussions of her statement. The only person she truly cared about in this scenario was Harris, and she’d just put him in an incredibly uncomfortable situation.

But just as quickly as his eyes had widened, the surprise swept from Harris’s face.

“That’s right,” he said, giving her a squeeze of support with his hand. “I’m Gigi’s boyfriend, Harris.” Then he turned to Keith, smiling sharply, like a shark about to rip into a seal. He zoned in on Keith and rose from his chair, his full frame soon a head higher than her ex’s, and with the two of them face-to-face, Gigi was acutely aware of their differences. Keith wasn’t in the same league as Harris. Not even close. He couldn’t touch Harris’s class, intelligence, or wit with a ten-foot pole.

“And who are you?” Harris asked, extending his hand to shake Keith’s.

“Uh-uh . . . Keith. Keith McCleod.” He stuttered while enduring Harris’s stiff handshake, which hauled him forward astep. Keith took his hand back, wiggling his fingers like they’d lost circulation.

“I got that much. I meant, who are you to Gigi?” Harris asked, and Gigi stifled a laugh.

“We, uh. Gigi and I dated.”

Harris made a dismissive noise, deep in his throat. “That’s funny. She’s never mentioned you.”

“You guys just started dating then?” Keith’s mouth went to a straight line, and Gigi chuckled, wondering if he came out of the womb, thinking the world revolved around him.

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