Page 29 of One Night with the Werewolf
“You two were pretty chummy,” Harry agrees.
I explain in what is probably far too much detail exactly how things went down. Their mouths fall open when I tell them about how I left that morning, certain I’d never see him again.
“Damn, Dad doesn’t play around,” Harry says. “Harsh.”
I’m agreeing with him when I notice a familiar head of dark hair. And a familiar pair of shoulders.
Shit, it’s Jason sitting at the bartop.
I lean forward to whisper to my friends that he’s here, when I accidentally knock over my water with my elbow. It splashes everywhere, causing Becks to yelp with surprise and leap out of her chair as it hits her. Every head in the bar turns toward us, which of course, includes Jason.
Great.
Martin runs toward us with towels to help mop up, and Becks heads to the bathroom to try to save her shirt with the hand dryer. I’m the one who spilled it, and I didn’t get a drop on me.
“Em,” I hear Jason’s smooth voice say over my shoulder as I try to clean off the table. “Haven’t seen you in a while.”
Why is he even talking to me?
“No kidding.” I turn around and put some space between us. “Probably because you never called or texted me.”
“I’m sorry about all that.” He looks, for the first time, like he might be ashamed. “I don’t know what was in my head. I’ve been waiting for you to show up to Elroy’s so I could try to apologize to you in person.”
This is the absolute last thing I need right now.
“Apology not necessary,” I say, handing the wet towels back to Martin.
“Yeah, it is necessary. I was a major fucking asshole.” When I still am not paying attention to him, Jason grabs my arm.
Instinctively, I rip it away, glaring at him.
“You were an asshole. Still are, I guess.”
“I’m sorry, Em,” he says, though he looks more angry than sad. “I really am. I can’t believe I threw away four of the best years of my life. I… I want to try again with you.”
I feel like I’m in some kind of weird nightmare. Is Jason really trying to apologize? Toget back togetherwith me?
I can’t help but laugh. I laugh and laugh, and Jason is staring at me like I have an extra pair of eyes.
“You can’t be for real,” I say. “Months of silence, and now you’re saying it was the best four years of your life? Well, it was probably the worst four years ofmylife.”
I don’t know where this is coming from, but right now, I don’t give a shit about Jason. I couldn’t care less what he thinks, what he wants, what he was doing that night on speakerphone. He gave me something I could never have dreamed of by standing me up.
“That’s not true,” Jason says, affronted. “You were in love with me.”
“Not really.” That’s why I didn’t care as much as I should have when he was off doing his own thing. “I don’t think I was ever in love with you. Not with how you treated me.”
The bar is quiet as everyone watches this unfold. Martin returns with a new glass of water, and Jason’s eyes track it.
“Not drinking?” he asks in a dangerous tone. “Unusual for you.”
Fuck. I did not want to do this now, especially not without Roscoe here. I really should delay it, wait for a moment when we can tell him together.
“None of your business. Are we done yet?”
“Really?” Now Jason is getting madder. “You’re just going to turn your back on me, after all the time we spent together?”
“Yes, I am. I have something else now.” I know I shouldn’t goad him, but god, it feels good to watch his face like he doesn’t understand the words I’m saying. I’m insulted by how baffled he looks, as if I could never find someone else besides him.
