Page 28 of Fly Back to Me
“That’s him,” I blurt out.
Lauren’s head perks up. “What? Who?”
“Asshole. Earlier today. Coffee shop.”
“No way,” she breathes harshly, her focus swiveling back to Mr. Douchebag.
The back of my hand swats her upper arm as I whisper, “How could you bring me here?”
Her eyes swell into wide, brown saucers. “Me? How the hell would I know he’d be here?”
My body straightens, facing forward as my peripheral vision catches her. “That’s true,” I say skeptically. I roll my eyes as I lift the rim of my glass to my mouth, drawing a large sip. Once thesourness coats my cheeks, I purse my lips as I shake my head in disbelief. “I’m actually offended he’s here.”
“I’m sorry, but can I just say, the ‘blazing inferno’ description was absolutely on point.”
I pivot to face her, jabbing a finger in her direction. “No. I don’t like him, which means you don’t like him. You can’t just change the rules of friendship over a hot guy.”
She shrugs a shoulder, lips pouting when she turns her palm upward. “What’s to like?”
My eyes roam her cautiously when sarcasm energizes her tone. “I’m looking for a new roommate when we get home.”
Her face contorts through an unsure smile, her hand laying over her chest. “Liv, I mean this with all the love in my heart when I say that maybe you should reconsider your first judgment.”
“Ugh,” I groan, swiveling in my seat again. “What good are you?”
My elbows prop on the bar top, palms lining the sides of my face. Maybe alcohol will mellow the rising vomit that’s threatening to spew all over this shiny counter. Then again, maybe I can throw up on him and complete the job from earlier today.
Now, there’s an idea.
“He seems really friendly from where I’m sitting. Maybe he just had a really shitty morning,” Lauren suggests.
“It’s obviously the alcohol suppressing his urge to be the huge asshole he is,” I counter, peeking over to him.
His hair is a little more finessed than this morning, deliciously disheveled on top. His shirt is stretched over broad shoulders and taut muscle, and my eyes involuntarily peruse lower to the belt of his dark jeans. The hem of his henley is only half-tucked, tattoos peeking out on his right forearm from the rolled-up sleeve.
Ugh.
My eyes jolt to his face when he ejects a breathy laugh, icy-blue eyes lighting up just as he flashes a flawless smile. A pinch commences in my stomach, and I’m suddenly pissed off he has no teeth knocked out or that they’re yellow. That was my last chance to halt all this sheer insanity.
“I think someone is changing their mind.”
I stab Lauren with lethal eyes. “I’m going to kill you.”
“Well …” she trails off, her gaze stealing another peek. “Now you have eye candy again. You’re welcome.”
I wrap a palm around her arm, snapping her attention back to me. “Let’s just hope he finishes his drink and leaves before we have to get up and cross paths. If not, I’m living in this seat forever. I don’t care.”
“Okay, I love you, but you’re crazy.”
“Cheers to that.” A smile spreads over my lips when I raise my glass between us, only for a dreadfully familiar voice to invade our space.
“How are we doing so far? Can I get you anything?”
That same tenor growls deep just like it did this morning, his earthy scent relentlessly licking my skin. My belly coils a mile a minute as I hook onto Lauren’s gaze, desperation painting my eyes as I silently beg her to shoo him away.
“Is everything okay?” he asks.
Lauren’s brows cave before her chin angles up to him. “I’m sorry, what’s your name?”
