teeth on edge.
I glare at him, then shake my head again. “Actually, that’s a great idea.” I grab my cell phone and turn it on. When I find Lance’s number, I press call and put the phone to my ear, listening to it ring until it goes to voice mail.
“Hi, you’ve reached Lance. I’m not available, so leave a message.”
“Lance, it’s me, Anna Belle. Calvin told me you called and seem confused about the status of our relationship, which is odd to me, because we broke up and haven’t spoken for . . . I don’t know, months. We’re over. Hopefully this clarifies things for you.” I hang up, slamming down the phone, and then guilt for being so mean hits me. So I pick my phone right back up and go through the whole process of listening to the ringing along with his voice mail message once more. “Sorry, that was rude, but seriously, I don’t know why you would think we’re still together.” I hang up, then groan and call him back again. “Actually, I take that back. I’m not sorry. Also, don’t come here; we have no reason to see each other.” I don’t get the chance to hang up again, because Calvin yanks my phone from my grasp, and he lifts his hips and shoves it in his back pocket. “Hey! That’s my phone.”
“Yeah, but I have no intention of listening to you call your ex over and over all fucking day.”
“I wasn’t going to call him again.”
“Babe.” He scrubs his hands down his face.
“I wasn’t.”
“You called him three times within the span of three minutes.”
I did do that. Damn.
“Why is it that whenever you get pissed at me, I haven’t gotten an apology?” he asks, and I notice the anger has left his features and that his lips are twitching.
“Probably because you were being a jerk and I wasn’t sorry,” I tell him honestly.
He grins like he thinks I’m cute, but then his smile falters. “I’m guessing, since he’s getting calls, Max published the story.”
“Yeah.” I let out a long breath and pick up my coffee to take a sip as I wonder what she wrote in the story.
“Good news is, out on the lake, there’s no cell service, so you’ll have a little peace,” he tells me, his expression gentling.
“Bad news is,” I say, my nose scrunching, “if I see Max again, I’m probably going to kick her in the shin, so you might have to arrest me.”
“I don’t know. I kinda like the idea of you wearing my cuffs.” He smirks, and my insides somersault.
“Breakfast is served,” Flo singsongs, setting down two overflowing plates. “I’m going to come back with syrup, but is there anything else you want?” She looks between the two of us.
“I’m good,” Calvin says.
“Ketchup for me, please.” I smile as the smell of bacon and pancakes urges me to dig in.
“Got it. I’ll be right back.”
I pick up a piece of bacon when she walks off and take a bite, trying not to moan in happiness. I never buy real bacon; I always get turkey bacon because it’s supposed to be better for me, but no matter what the packaging says, it’s just not the same. After the waitress comes back and drops off the syrup and ketchup, we dig into our food.
“I think this is the best breakfast I’ve had in forever,” I tell Calvin while dipping a bite of eggs and cheese into some ketchup.
He turns to smile at me. “I wouldn’t have guessed, based on the sounds you’re making.”
“I’m not making any sounds.”
“You’re moaning every time you take a bite.”
“Whatever.” I don’t even bother arguing with him. Instead, I enjoy my cheesy eggs, take another bite of pancake, and wash it all down with some coffee.
When we’re done eating and are stuffed, he pays the bill, and we load back up in his truck. “The lake is only about twenty minutes from here. We’ll stop at the tackle shop, pick you up a license, and get the keys for the boat,” he says as we pull onto the highway.
Wait, what?
“License? A license for what?”
“You have to have a license to fish.”
“Do I need to take a test?” I ask, getting that same nervousness I used to feel when I had to take a test in school.
He laughs like I’m being funny. “No test.”
I sigh in relief, then ask, “We’re going out on a boat?”
“Yeah, not a big one, just a skiff, so we can get out