Page 116 of Mr. Swoony

Fuck. I stare at the floor, feeling like the world’s biggest douchebag. “In my dresser drawer.”

She stands and rounds the couch. I get up and follow her to my bedroom.

“Get it,” she says, gesturing toward the dresser.

“I totally forgot it was in here.” I open my underwear drawer and dig to the bottom, pulling it out. “I was going to throw it out, but I forgot. I haven’t looked at it at all. I swear.”

I hand the picture to her, and she glances at it before ripping it in half. “Do you have any idea how stupid all this makes me feel?”

Tears well in her eyes, and she charges out of my bedroom… our bedroom for the most part, because since camping, she’s slept in my bed every night.

“I didn’t want to scare you,” I say, chasing her.

“Scare me? So, you lied to me?” She whips around and runs her fingers under her eyes, wiping the tears there. “You lied.”

My stomach bottoms out. I feel as though I’m going to be sick. “I’m sorry, I didn’t want you to find out about her and leave me. I thought I could get rid of her, and then it wouldn’t matter. But she refused to listen. Even today at Beans, she kept telling me how good we were together, no matter how many times I told her that I was with you. That you were the one I had fallen for.” I step closer, but Eloise puts up her hand to stop me.

“You chose to lie to me. Why do people think I’m incapable of dealing with shit? I don’t need to be handled with kid gloves. I’m a grown woman!” Her voice raises.

“I know you can. That’s not it. It’s me. It’s all on me because you don’t deserve to have some woman harassing you because she believes she’s dating your boyfriend. A woman who is putting shitty things on your social media?—”

Her head rears back. “Wait, how do you know about that?”

I swallow the lump in my throat. “You mentioned that one comment, so I’ve been checking your socials to see if she was continuing to send them. I’ve caught a few before you deleted them off your posts.”

She throws her arms up in the air. “What else, Conor? What else have you been handling behind the scenes to make sure I stay in some bubble?” Jesus, she’s animated when she’s angry.

“Nothing.” I shake my head.

“And that was her at Peeper’s when you told me she was just a fan.”

My shoulders sag. “I thought I could handle it.” I step closer. “Please. I’m so sorry. I was stupid for not telling you.”

She puts up her hand again. “I need to be alone.” She walks by me into my bedroom, purposely keeping a distance so our bodies don’t touch. She comes back out with her pillow. “I’m sleeping in the other room tonight. Don’t bother me.”

Her door slams shut, and my head falls forward. I’m such an idiot. I fucked up this entire thing.

Forty-Eight

Eloise

The front door shuts, and I hold the pillow that still smells like Conor up to my nose.

Five minutes later, my phone rings, and a knock sounds on the condo door. I glance at my phone screen and see that it’s Jade. I slide my thumb across it to answer and pad across the condo to the front door.

“I’m fine,” I say as I open the door and answer the phone at the same time.

Kyleigh walks in. “I have her. Get here as soon as you can,” she says loudly enough for Jade to hear her.

“We’ll be there in ten,” Jade says before she hangs up.

I walk into the kitchen and put my phone on the counter. “I take it he told you.”

“He’s up at my place. I told him he’s an idiot.” She moves to the counter and grabs the measuring spoons and cups, reading over the recipe that’s still sitting there.

“What are you doing?” I say, climbing up on a breakfast stool.

“I’m making the frosting and finishing your cake.” She looks at me over her shoulder. “So we can eat it.”

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