Page 112 of Just Trouble

I should be grateful to him.

Funny I don’t feel like saying thanks.

“Where are you staying tonight?” I ask.

Justin frowns, his gaze flicking beyond me to the interior of my house and back to my eyes. “Well, I thought, maybe, here.”

“So, let me get this straight,” I say. “We were engaged to be married.”

“We know that, Daphne. I still have the ring, although you should have kept it.”

Better and better. He’s doing that endearing thing of talking down to me. Could he make it any easier to just say no?

“We were essentially living together,” I remind him.

“Yes, you were going to redo the kitchen.” Again, the winsome smile. “It’s still waiting for your touch.”

I continue as if he hasn’t spoken. “I was in the middle of planning and booking our wedding, at which point you decided to become involved with another woman.” He starts to protest. “Not just sex, Justin. Not just a hook-up. A full-blown ongoing affair.”

“Well,” he says and falls silent.

“And when I found out and broke it off, you had nothing to say in your own defense except—” I pause to give his words the weight they deserve. “—‘the heart wants what it wants’.” I hadpersonally thought it was a somewhat lower part of his anatomy driving his choices, but I don’t say that.

Yet.

“You don’t understand, Daphne. I was dazzled by her. You were so busy and Heather was there for me. It was impulsive and wrong, and just a fling. But now it’s over, so I’m back.” He smiles, twinkling at me, laying on the charm.

“It’s been three years,” I remind him. “Did you get lost? It’s maybe a four-hour drive.”

“Daphne!”

“Did you think I was just sitting here waiting for you?”

“Well.” He looks around, probably intending to dismiss Empire as a place lacking in dating options. Instead, he notices Luke standing on the sidewalk, hands in his pockets, listening and making no attempt to hide it. I can only see his silhouette, but he looks big and resolute, a bodyguard ready to kick some butt if I encourage it.

“And so you show up, without calling, assuming that I have nothing better to do than invite you in, feed you, sleep with you, and fill your life with joy once more.”

“You make it sound like work.”

“And you make the option unappealing.”

He turns to Luke and speaks with some irritation. “Excuse me, but we’re having a private conversation.”

Luke takes a step closer. “It looks to me like Daph doesn’t want you on her porch.”

Justin looks between the two of us. “You know him?”

“In every possible sense,” I say and smile slowly.

He looks startled then, and even a little uncertain. He looks at Luke again.

“Go home, Justin, and don’t ever come back.”

“You’re supposed to love me!”

“If I ever did, you fixed that.” I lean around Justin and wave to Luke. “You’re late tonight,” I say, as if he comes here every night. I refrain from calling him ‘honey’ but only just.

One of us would probably laugh.

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