Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 91065 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 455(@200wpm)___ 364(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91065 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 455(@200wpm)___ 364(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
“It’s . . . complicated.”
Complicated? How? If he’s trying to tell me he still has feelings for Margot, he’s way too late. He had his chance, and now I have mine.
You snooze, you lose.
“Most things are.” I try to keep my tone neutral, my back ramrod straight. “But I’m not here to make things harder for Margot. I’m here to support her.”
Margot steps between us, her expression a mix of frustration and concern. “Can we please not turn this into a confrontation? Colton, I appreciate you stopping in, but this isn’t the time or place for this discussion.”
Colton’s gaze softens slightly as he looks at her. “I just want what’s best for Wyatt, Margot. That’s all I want.”
And you.
I want what’s best for you.
I create the dialogue in my own mind. He’s not speaking the words, but they linger in the air like a cloud.
“Same. I want what’s best for her—and so does Dex.” She nods in my direction. “We can handle this together without making things more difficult for each other. You cannot show up unannounced like this again. Especially now that I’m dating someone.”
I smirk at him over her head, damned if I don’t.
There’s a moment of silence as Colton considers her words, glancing between the two of us. Finally, he concedes.
“All right.” His jaw clenches. “But we need to talk soon. Privately.”
It takes every ounce of self-control I have not to roll my eyes.
“All of us,” I put in. There is no way in hell I’m letting him in a room with her alone. Not after the way I heard him speak to her earlier. No fucking way.
“Sure.” He levels me with a long look before walking toward the door, his gaze then bouncing between Margot and me as if to make sense of it—of us.
Our relationship.
He looks so baffled I’m tempted to say, “Hey, man, I get it—I don’t understand it, either, but somehow it makes perfect sense.”
When he’s gone, I try to be cool. Unfortunately, that lasts all of three seconds, and I’m blurting out the words “Is this normally how it goes with him?” ’Cause he was acting like a fucking douche canoe.
“No.” She shakes her head. “He’s never talked down to me like that.”
“Jealousy has a way of rearing its ugly head.”
“He is not jealous.” She keeps shaking her head, quite certain her ex’s ego isn’t bruised. “Trust me, Colton does not have a jealous bone in his body.”
I’m a guy and know how guys think, and that dude is jealous or my name isn’t Dex Motherfucking Lansing.
“Wanna make a bet?”
I try keeping my thoughts to myself; pushing the issue will not help right now. But this is me we’re talking about, and I have a tendency to blurt out whatever the fuck is inside my brain.
“Maybe he’s stressed out,” Margot tries. “Learning your ex is dating someone new is a lot to handle, especially when you hear about it on the news. I was single a long, long time, and he’s not used to seeing me with someone.”
I almost snort. Is she serious right now? “He can date someone, but you can’t?”
Her expression remains troubled. “I just don’t want whatever that was to affect Wyatt. She needs stability.”
“I’m sure the reason he was being a dick was from shock.” That’s putting it mildly and as kindly as I can say it. “We’ll make sure Wyatt has stability, I promise.”
Obviously I have no idea how to make that happen, but stability sounds pretty damn good—I mean that, I truly do. How hard can stability be?
Margot looks at me and smiles. “Thanks, Dex. It means a lot.”
“Maybe . . .” I swallow, hating the words about to come out of my mouth, but I say them anyway. “Maybe I should head home. Let you clear your head. Process.”
Give her some space. Unless she doesn’t want me to leave?
She frowns, nibbling her lip again, clearly torn.
“I don’t want you to go,” she admits, her voice barely above a whisper. “But maybe you’re right? I should probably give myself the space to process everything and maybe talk to Colton again once he chills out.”
I nod, even though the last thing I want is her to contact that jealous douche nozzle.
“You can text me if you need anything,” I let her know, giving her hand a gentle squeeze and tugging her into an embrace. Kiss the top of her head. “And we can talk more later. Or tomorrow. Okay?”
“’Kay. Thanks for understanding.”
I lean down to kiss her softly on the lips, lingering there, bummed that I just told her I was going to leave and give her space.
“Text me later,” I whisper against her mouth before finally pulling back, suddenly feeling alone.
Chapter 30
Margot
I let him leave.
I let him leave, and I didn’t want him to.
In fact, the one thing I don’t want is to be alone.