doubt this guy is dating your friend because Sawyer ordered it. Whatever Huck is keeping to himself is just because he has your best interest in mind, and he wants you to remain as vigilant as you’ve always been.”
I was under the impression that Huck and I had moved past the point of making decisions for one another. We were supposed to share everything and stay on the same page so we didn’t end up back where we’d been when all we did was misunderstand each other. It was possible to do the wrong thing for the right reasons, which didn’t mean someone wasn’t going to get hurt anyway.
I didn’t need Huck hiding things from me for my own good.
I didn’t have time to delve too deeply into these thoughts, because just as the bouncy waiter stepped to the table, a tall, dark-haired man walked behind him and headed purposely toward Mercer’s table. I instantly recognized him.
I felt my jaw practically unhinge, and my breath froze in my lungs. I blinked a couple times, even rubbed my eyes to make sure I wasn’t hallucinating. If only I’d asked his name, if I pushed Mercer harder for more information, I wouldn’t have been so blindsided right now.
I thought I was prepared. I thought I’d braced myself. I told myself Mercer’s change in behavior and the secrecy had to have something to do with my past, and I was right.
But I never in a million years would’ve guessed that the man my best friend was seeing was the same one I’d befriended my freshman year of college. The one I took home and dangled on the end of a string like a puppet just to see how far my nemesis would go.
Jack Darling was supposed to be a one-night stand and nothing more than a means to an end. He definitely wasn’t supposed to be here in my new life. He wasn’t as scary as Sawyer, but just about as welcome.
For the life of me, I couldn’t figure out why Jack was here and on a date with my new best friend.
Vernon reached across the table and silently tapped my chin so I would close my mouth. I blinked at him and put both my hands on the top of the table, torn between running across the restaurant and pulling Mercer away from that man, or running out the front door. That was how I usually handled baggage from my past. It was always a mess I hated to clean up.
“I take it you know him?” Vernon’s pierced eyebrow lifted and a frown pulled at his mouth. He typed something on his phone, and I knew without asking that he was letting Huck know I was on the verge of a freakout and that I definitely recognized the guy with Mercer.
“Just a little. He was my friend from school and a little more.” I gulped and clenched my shaking hands into fists. “We flirted a bit and hooked up once, but it wasn’t anything serious. I knew going in that Sawyer wasn’t going to let another guy get close to me. I was pretty sure I was never going to see him again after he found out Sawyer had secretly recorded us when we were together. He didn’t take Sawyer’s threats well. Him being here can’t be a simple coincidence.” Especially if he was treating Mercer like garbage and purposely trying to isolate her from me.
Vernon put one of his hands over mine and gave a gentle squeeze to remind me that we were in public.
“What do you want to do? Confront him? Continue to follow them? We never talked about the endgame.”
“I... I don’t know. I want to know why he’s here. I don’t want to hurt or embarrass Mercer. She’s one of the few people who has unconditionally had my back with no questions asked. I was so worried about Sawyer, it never occurred to me there were other people out there who might have something against me.” I did drag this guy into a sticky situation, and he was yet another rich kid whose status and image apparently mattered more than basic human decency.
Vernon watched the couple over his shoulder as I kept my head down and tried to work out what I should do next. I should’ve listened to Huck’s warning about this plan, possibly costing me more than I was willing to lose.
“Ohh...” Vernon tapped my hand frantically to get my attention. “Your girl is getting up