ready to punch me. I was preserving my life.” He cracked a grin. “I think he blamed me for you passing out. Had to make sure he knew the real reason: him.”
“It wasn’t just him.” It had been me. Mom. “You know, I’m stuck right now. I have to thank you for telling him, but you’re a piece of work. You know?”
“I’m sorry for my part in fucking with you and Caden.”
I lifted an eyebrow.
“And for fucking with you in general,” he amended. “I knew you liked me in high school, and I liked that.” He extended a hand toward me. “You’re gorgeous, and you have no clue. You’re funny. Witty. Feisty. And you’re just a good person. Girls like you don’t come along every day. I’m lucky enough to have found Kiara. She’s one of those girls, but I don’t think I’ll find another.”
“Then don’t fuck with her.”
“I’m not planning on it.”
“I mean it, Kevin. Don’t cheat on her.”
“I won’t. I promise. The whole lesson thing we did? It didn’t last long, but it actually helped.”
“Were you really trying to change then? Or was it a con?”
He gave me a rueful look, laughing lightly. He held his hands up. “It was both. It started out as an act. I was planning on getting with you, but then you showed up at my room to find out if I’d left Maggie for you. I did, but it was obvious you weren’t into me, so I ran with it.”
I groaned. “Kevin.”
He scratched his head. “I just wanted to spend time with you. I figured I could get you under my spell again.”
“Caden told me some of what you said to him while I was out of it, having my breakdown.” This one hurt. “Is it true? Did no one ask me out in high school because of you? They all thought you’d steal me away from them?”
“You had boyfriends.”
“Yeah.” I snorted. “Three very lame boyfriends. They don’t count. They weren’t real relationships.”
“I’m sorry for that too. And yes, every guy knew not to mess with you because I could snatch you up. I kinda let that be known.”
I wanted to chuck a shoe at him. I looked around, maybe I could throw something else, something that wouldn’t do as much damage. I wanted to do damage, though. I wanted to do a whole lot of damage.
I said instead, “You’re a piece of shit.”
“I know.” He held his hands up again in surrender. “Some of the stuff I said to you, I wasn’t actually lying. I wasn’t ready for a girl like you. And I didn’t know how to handle it. I’m a selfish piece of work. I’m sleazy. I’m a manipulating manwhore. But I swear, you helped me want to change. You wouldn’t talk to me at home over the holiday, and this is the first time I’ve worked up the courage to approach you. I know I messed up.” He pressed a hand to his chest. “I lost my shot with you. That affected me. It’s because of you that I’m even with Kiara. If I’d met her back in November or December, I never would’ve looked twice at her. She’s a good girl. I can’t be with good girls. I ruin them.”
I wanted to growl. “I already warned you not to hurt her.”
“I’m not going to. If anything happened to her…” His smile softened. “Caden could’ve lost you. I saw the look on his face when you fainted. That guy really loves you.”
I frowned. “I was dehydrated. That was it. They gave me fluids for half a day and I was fine.”
“I’m not talking physically. He almost lost you. Caden’s lucky to have you.”
“Oh.” Well, that made me feel good. “Thank you.”
“Sooo, are you going to keep hating me at family stuff? We have summer coming up soon. Things will be awkward if we’re both home and you want to kill me.”
“I never wanted to kill you. More like maim, rip out your guts, castrate you.” I lifted a shoulder. “You couldn’t hurt if you were buried. But if your guts had been pulled out and then put back in with some really bad stitching? Yeah. That would’ve been perfect.”
“Yeah.” He echoed, a hard glint in his eyes. “That’s what I meant.”
“Just so we’re on the same page.”
“And you have absolutely no feelings for me?”
I didn’t think twice. I grabbed the shoe next to my suitcase and threw it at him.
He ducked, and it hit the wall behind him.