Page 119 of A Pizza My Heart

Hand on her hip, shoulders pushed back, she marches toward me.

“Tell me youdid notpay for my house. Tell me I’m wrong. Tell me I don’t have to kick your ass in the middle of this restaurant and embarrass you.”

“Wellllll…” I rub my hand across the back of my neck. “I, uh, I can’t.”

“Are you freakin’ kidding me?” she shouts, all heads in the restaurant now turning our way.

Simon comes barreling out of the back room, gunning straight for us.

“What did wejusttalk about?” he hisses.

“Does me kicking Foster’s ass count as drama?”

“Yes!” her father urges, his eyes darting around the room, smiling politely to the guests, trying to subdue them.

“Then I quit!” She rips her apron off her small body, balls it up in her angry fists, and tosses it to the floor in a huff.

“What!” her dad shouts.

Knowing I shouldn’t, I can’t help but laugh at her antics and how angry she looks right now. Her face is red, nostrils flaring. She looks like a bull ready to charge anyone wearing red.

My laughter sets her off even more.

She reaches up and locks my ear in her fist. “Get your ass outside, Marlett.”

“Wren Daniels!”

Simon’s mouth is dropped to the floor, but she doesn’t care, ignoring him and marching right past him, me in tow.

“You can’t quit!” he yells after us. “I won’t let it happen!”

Wren drags me through the door and out of the parking lot. She doesn’t stop until we’re standing on the other side of the property line.

“Since you’re still an employee here and I can’t kick your ass on the premises, we’re doing this here.”

I laugh at her again.

“Shut up!” she yells. “I can’t freakin’ believe you right now.”

“Why?” I lift a shoulder. “I had the money and I wanted to help. It’s no big deal.”

“It is too a big deal, because not only is ita lotof money, it’s also real ridiculous you think you have to buy my love.”

“It’s not a—wait, what?” I shake my head. “Are you serious? You think I did this to buy your love?”

“Yes!”

“Did you take up drinking when I wasn’t looking? Drug use? Should I be calling rehab centers? You’re clearly on something.”

She glowers at me. “Foster…”

I step toward her, grabbing her waist and tugging until she’s flush against me. I grasp her chin between my fingers and hold her stare to mine.

“Don’t fucking ‘Foster’ me, Wren. I didn’t do this to buy your love. I don’t need to buy it. I already have it.”

“You—” The words die on her lips.

In that moment, I watch her fall completely.

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