Page 83 of Return Policy

“Sorry,dude, but it looked to me like the conversation was over.” I glare at him before turning my attention on my wilted sunflower. “Wanna go inside and get a drink, babe?”

The prick looks between Sophia and me before a wide grin spreads across his face.

“This guy?” He laughs.

He fucking laughs.

“Seth, just leave.” Sophia’s shoulders deflate.

“Gladly.” He smirks. “You coming with?”

“Excuse me?” she scoffs.

“Why don’t we just get out of here and I can remind you how goodwewere together,” he says with a smug grin.

The audacity of this dickwad.

“Yeah, there’snodamn way that’s happening,” I say, slowly losing my cool guy facade.

“Honestly, man,” Seth snaps, turning his attention to look down at me, “could you just stay out of this?”

I square my shoulders, trying to ignore the fact he’s almost double my size. “Considering you’re trying to take homemygirlfriend? No.”

A flash of surprise crosses Sophia’s face, but she quickly recovers.

“You’ll regret this, Soph,” Seth threatens, walking toward the door to the bar.

Sophia runs a frustrated hand across her face, then looks up at me with worried eyes.

“Your ex?” I ask.

“That obvious?” she groans. “How much did you hear?”

“Nothing really.” A bitter lump forms in my throat. “Want me to kick his ass?”

“Ughh,” she groans, slamming her face against my chest. “Add another stuffed suitcase of emotional baggage to my pile. You ready to run yet?”

“Baby.” I pull away and angle her face up to meet my gaze. “When are you going to get it through your beautiful head I’m not going anywhere?”

Am I curious as hell what she and the asshat were talking about?Of course. Does it have me considering even for one moment I don’t want her to be mine?Not a chance in hell.

“You called me your girlfriend.” She tilts her head, and my lips curve upwards.

“I know.”

“Did you mean it?”

“Did you want me to?” I counter, and she scrunches her face, trying to shield her emotions, but the smile comes bursting through. “I’m not sleeping with anyone else,” I add. She lets out a heavy breath, which I assume is in relief, then grins up at me. I wait for her to say the same, but it doesn’t come. “And…?”

“And what?” she asks, pulling her blonde brows together.

“Are you going to sleep with anyone else?”

“Elijah.” She laughs in amusement, rubbing her thumb along my jaw. “I’ve slept with two people in my life. That prick I know you just wanted to beat the shit out of, and you.”

“Good.” I place my palm against her cheek, looking directly into those gorgeous eyes. “Tonight I’m going to fuck you until that dick’s name is permanently erased from your memory. Then we’ll make love so good you’ll never forget mine.”

22

---