Page 36 of The Affair
“You’ve got to give it time. Isn’t that what you told me yesterday?”
He let out a sigh. “I knew that would come back and bite me in the ass one day.”
My eyebrow rose ever so slightly, making him laugh. “Go make us coffee.”
“I thought you were doing that?”
I shook my head. “You need something to keep your mind off that booth. Plus, I own the place.”
“Fine, fine.”
He played the part of disgruntled employee well—minus the smile plastered on his face. As he walked away, I tried not to watch. I tried not to notice the way his jeans clung to his ass.
I really did.
Humming to myself, I took my morning stroll around the store, checking each aisle to make sure things weren’t out of place from the day before. Everything appeared to be in order, so I decided to unlock the door a little early. What I hadn’t expected to find was someone there, waiting for me.
“What do you want, Reed?”
Not bothering to wait for an invitation, he stepped through the door the second I opened it, his eyes roaming the store like a wild animal.
“I want to know why my brother is working here.”
I let out a frustrated sigh, my arms wound tightly across my chest. “Why do you care?”
“Because the whole damn town can’t stop talking about it.”
I laughed. Well, it was more of a chuckle. “Really? The whole town? I thought there would be more chatter over your new girlfriend… or did you think I wouldn’t find out about that one?”
He seemed to stumble over that for a moment, his gaze hitting the floor before finding its way back to mine. “I was going to tell you.”
I just shook my head. “It’s none of my business,” I said. “Well, I mean, it was when you screwed her in the bar. But now that we’re divorced, I don’t care what you do with her.”
“Elle,” he breathed out, my words clearly striking a nerve.
I held my hands up, waving a white flag of cease-fire. “We’re done here.”
“I don’t want Sawyer working here,” he said with a finality that made my blood boil.
“And you think you can order me around because?”
Ignoring my words entirely, he went on with his rant. “It gives people the wrong impression.”
“And what impression does screwing some girl in the restroom bar give?”
“Dammit Elle, when are you going to let that go?”
My eyes widened, and my chest constricted. “Let that go?” I echoed, my voice barely above a whisper.
“Reed, I think you should go,” a deep voice said behind me.
I hadn’t even heard Sawyer approach, but now that he was here, I could feel his presence behind me.
That normally sweet-spirited, easygoing guy was now radiating rage.
And it was all pointed toward Reed.
I watched as Reed assessed us. His eyes darted between me and his brother. “So, it’s like that then, is it? Is this how you’re going to get your revenge, Elle? By fucking my brother? Did he tell you about—”
