Total pages in book: 194
Estimated words: 183150 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 916(@200wpm)___ 733(@250wpm)___ 611(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 183150 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 916(@200wpm)___ 733(@250wpm)___ 611(@300wpm)
‘Are you not going to say anything?’ he hisses, his eyes beady and harbouring all sorts of contempt. It makes me boil a little on the inside.
I manage to retain my temper. ‘Matt, I’ve said all I’ve got to say. Was that all you dragged me here for?’
He recoils, his eyebrows hitting his hairline. ‘You’re not prepared to give it another try?’
‘No.’ I reply simply. I’ve never made such an easy decision.
He jumps up from the table in a temper, knocking his drink over in the process. ‘You’ll need me before I need you.’
I laugh in his face. ‘I’ll need you?’ I gather my hysteria. ‘Yeah, that’s why you’re here begging me to come back, and I’ve told you where to go. What’s the matter, Matt? Ran out of birds to shag?’ I watch as he rearranges his cheap, black suit and straightens his brown, floppy hair. Funny, I don’t find him attractive anymore. Actually, he makes my skin crawl. What did I ever see in him? He was a habit, that’s all he was – a very bad habit.
‘I knew it!’ Kate’s high pitched screech makes my shoulders tense. ‘I knew you were seeing him!’ I turn and see her pretty, pale face is bright red with anger.
‘Oh, she’s come to join the party,’ Matt shoots over my head. ‘You just can’t keep your fucking nose out, can you?’
I glance around the bar and notice that people are starting to stare at the little exchange going on, their attention drawn by Matt’s flying pint glass. If I get the opportunity, I’ll save Kate the wasted breath and tell her exactly what just happened. But I suppose, after four years of keeping her fat trap shut, I should let her have her moment.
She strolls up to him, all confident and cocky, Matt’s lips curling into a snarl as she gets up close and personal with him. ‘She doesn’t want you, you useless sack of shit.’ Her tone is controlled and penetrating. ‘She’s got someone else, so go and crawl back into the hole you came from.’
Oh shit! Why did she have to say that for? I watch as Matt flicks his eyes to me for confirmation, but I don’t offer any. He hisses and spits a few times before stomping out of the bar.
Kate plonks herself in the chair opposite me, narrowing her bright blue eyes on me. I’m immediately on the defense.
‘He said he wasn’t okay. I thought someone had died!’
She shakes her head. ‘I’m really mad with you.’
I scoff and grab my wine for a welcome slurp. ‘I’m mad at myself. I didn’t need you to say that. Why did you say that?’
She grins. ‘Because it was funny. Did you see his face?’
Yes, it was a classic. But still, she’s throwing around statements that are simply not true. I haven’t got anyone else; I’m fucking someone else. There’s a big difference. My phone starts ringing, and I fish it from my bag, finding call number eleven from Jesse.
‘Who’s that?’ Kate asks, cocking her head up so she can get a glimpse of the screen.
‘Jesse.’
She frowns. ‘Aren’t you going to answer?’
I lean back in my chair, letting it ring off. ‘I cancelled him to meet Matt.’ I grumble.
Kate’s jaw drops open. ‘Ava, you really are very dim at times. And don’t take this personally, but when you were with Matt, you dialed down the fun factor so much, I was considering breaking up with you.’
I recoil at her speech. ‘That’s a bit harsh, isn’t it?’
She laughs. ‘The truth hurts, doesn’t it?’
‘Yes, it does.’
‘You’ve been dragged through the mill good and proper, so I’m willing to let it go.’ She leans forward. ‘Have some fun. And anyway, I like him.’
Well, she made that pretty obvious, and he is fun. But I know this can only end in tears. A member of staff approaches with a dust pan and brush, and I offer a small apologetic smile, but I’m distracted when my phone starts to shout. I ignore it…again. I need time to think about this. I was so overwhelmed yesterday, I let a firm chest, hypnotising voice and soft lush lips derail my cognitive thinking. Who am I kidding? Every time I’m with this man, I’m derailed and distracted. He overwhelms me with his intensity, knocking all rationality right out of me.
‘Hello, hotty at three o’clock! Oh, and he’s looking. How’s my hair? Have I got any icing on my face?’ Kate starts frantically brushing her cheeks with her palms.
I turn to three o’clock and see the guy from the bar at The Manor. Which one was it? Drew? No, Sam. He has a big smile on his cheeky face as he raises his bottle of beer to me. I raise my hand and turn back to Kate.
‘You know him?’ she asks incredulously.