Page 31 of Love, Hate, Love

There was a long pause before he said, “Nah. That shit can’t happen to us. We fall whenwechoose. We aren’t the kind of suckers that get hit with that lightning-bolt crap. Cupid can go fuck himself,” he added, laughing. “Just hang tight. I’ll be there in a few days and maybe I’ll take her off your hands.”

“Go fuck yourself,” I said before hanging up on him.

My phone buzzed on the seat beside me two minutes later. I thought it was going to be a follow-up from Alec, but when I looked at the phone I saw a message from Melissa pop up.

Melissa:Are you feeling any better? I haven’t heard from you. Do you need me to come check on you?

I should call her,tell her I was feeling better. Tell her to get her ass out here and then bang her until she couldn’t walk straight and I stopped thinking of Leah.

Except not a single cell in my body wanted to see her, and the thought of her naked didn’t make my dick even twitch. Yet I spotted Leah a hundred yards away bending over to fix her boot and I had to readjust myself.

Me:I’m on the mend. Buried under work for the next few weeks.

Hopefully she’d takethe hint and I wouldn’t have to spell it out.

My phone lit up again, Melissa calling now. I groaned for a second before I answered. Easier to hack off the dying limb than watch it go gangrenous.

“Hey,” I answered, trying to sound cordial even as I dreaded this call. She would either get bitchy or sad, and I didn’t want to deal with either, but I had to. If I was lucky, she’d get bitchy. Sad always fucked me in the head.

“Hi. I wanted to see how work was going because I haven’t heard from you.”

Sad. Dammit.

“I’m sorry. Just been really snowed under,” I said.

“Want me to bring you some dinner tonight? I make a really good meatloaf, and you have to eat.”

I rubbed the back of my neck. She wasn’t going to make this easy.

“Not sure that’s a good idea. I’m going to be buried for a while. I’ve got a lot going on and I don’t think I can spare time for distractions.”

“Are you dumping me?” she said.

The edge in her voice was definitely harsher now, but things could always take a turn back to sad. I wasn’t off the hook yet.

“Dumpingis a harsh word, but I do think perhaps we should put anything romantic on the back burner for a while.”

There was a pause, and I could almost envision her lips parted in shock.

“Youaredumping me.”

“I’m not dumping you. We weren’t in a committed relationship. I told you I wasn’t looking for anything serious.”

“Do you realize how many men want me, and I wasted my time with you, some hick rancher?”

She’d taken the low road, making things so much easier. “Well, then you should probably give those men a chance. I wish nothing but the best for you.”

“You’re going to regret this, and when you call? I won’t be answering the phone. I’ll have moved on.”

Nope, I wouldn’t be calling. “Okay, I’m very sorry and I do wish the best for you.”

“Actually, don’t even try to call, because I’m going to block your number!” Her voice had gone shrill.

“It’s what I deserve.” I tried to sound somber. I waited to see what she’d fire off next, but then looked at my phone and saw she’d ended the call.

That had actually gone way better than I’d thought it would.

She’d probably make someone a good girlfriend or wife. Just not me, when I couldn’t get my mind off Leah.

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