Page 19 of Spring Fling

The world tilts again.

I stare at her, this woman — Angela — who just hours ago felt like the answer to a prayer I’d stopped saying.

She won’t meet my eyes. She’s clutching a towel around herself like it’s chainmail.

The guy—her boyfriend, I guess—looks between us.

“I needed to talk to you,” he says, almost apologetic now. “I screwed up. I should have been here.”

Angela doesn’t say anything.

She doesn’t move.

She’s staring at a spot on the wall between this guy and me.

Tonya—no, not Tonya, Angela—shifts from foot to foot.

My jaw ticks. “You lied to me.”

“From the first moment. You lied.”

“I didn’t mean for it to happen like this,” she says. “I just…I was supposed to be on a date last night. With him—a guy who is not my boyfriend. But he didn’t show. Then you walked in, and…”

“You decided to pretend you were someone else,” I finish for her, my voice flat and hollow.

She flinches.

“Please,” she takes a step toward me. “Can we talk?”

“I think I’ve heard enough.” I button up my shirt, grab my jacket, and tuck my phone in my pocket. “Besides, it sounds like the two of you have some catching up to do.”

I stalk out of the room, my chest aching, as I leave without a single glance back at the woman who gave me hope and then broke my heart.

SEVEN

ANGELA

Staring in disbelief, I shake my head. “What the hell are you doing here?”

“I paid for this room.” Kevin scoffs. “I think the better question, Angela, is what in the hell is he doing here?”

He directs his scowl at Wade, who is eerily silent beyond mouthing my name.

My gut twists. Of course, the one time I do something truly spontaneous and reckless, I get caught. Worse, I had to go a develop feelings for the man who was supposed to be my no-strings attached fling to get over the heartbreak of being dumped by Kevin.

Well, heartbreak is a stretch. This turd of a man didn’t break my heart. He did bruise my ego. And now, thanks to my stupid ego, I’ve gone and royally screwed up my love life.

Torn between wanting to assure him this isn’t what it looks like and kicking my ex-situationship to the curb, I realize the first will be easier to start if I finish the second.

“Kevin.” I take a deep breath. “You canceled our date last night and told me this… whatever the hell this is we were doing was over.”

“Can’t a guy change his mind?”

I narrow my eyes. “You ditched me for another woman?”

“That was a mistake. She was”—he grimaces—“anyway, after a night with her, I realized I’d made a mistake. So I came here right after I left her so I could tell you I screwed up.”

I arch an eyebrow. “The only mistake you made was thinking I’d ever give you a second chance.”

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