Bad Boy Best Friend - Hope Ford Page 0,15

let myself think it was anything more than two friends hanging out together. However, my head and heart seem like it’s a little too hard to get on the same page.

The day barely gets started and Shawn comes in to drop off his car. He hangs around a little while to catch up, but I don’t get much of a chance to talk to him since there are lots of customers coming through. It’s probably a good thing, too, because obviously there’s some animosity between him and Austin. It’s like I can feel Austin glaring our way the whole time Shawn’s in the front office with me.

Today is much like yesterday, jam packed. However, Austin insisted that I take a full lunch so I do, but as soon as I walk into the diner, I realize my mistake. Blair is having lunch with some friends that I don’t recognize. I almost wave at her, trying to be friendly to Austin’s girlfriend, but the looks she keeps cutting toward me are enough to kill a person twice if looks could actually kill. I do my best to ignore the glares from her and her friends and stick it out, finishing my lunch in the restaurant, but never really tasting it. I know she probably feels like I ruined her date the other night, but that’s not really a reason to hate somebody.

When I return to the shop with food for Austin, I regret being stubborn and staying in the diner for lunch. Now my food isn’t sitting that well with me.

The rest of the day slows down a little, and I spend any free time between customers and any paperwork cleaning up the office.

I’m about to start shutting down and cashing out the till when Shawn comes in to pick up his car. I’m shaking my head and pulling two dollars out of my wallet just as he comes to the counter.

He must realize what I’m doing, because he says to me jokingly, “You don’t have to be good at math because you’re so pretty.”

Austin enters the office when Shawn made the joke and I can see that fighter switch flip to the on position just by the way Austin’s jaw sets and his head tilts slightly to the left as he looks at Shawn.

I laugh at Shawn’s joke even though I didn’t find the comment funny. If anything, I’m just wanting to calm the room down a little bit.

But Austin doesn’t let it go like I hoped he would. He positions himself between Shawn and me. “You’ve been panting around Laney like a dog in heat. But she’s not interested so get the fuck out of my shop.” He walks behind the counter to where I’m standing and grabs Shawn’s keys off the wall and tosses them to him.

I stand beside him, aghast that Austin is acting this way. How can he be this mad over a stupid comment?

To my surprise, Shawn gets equally furious. His face turns an ugly red and he yells at Austin, “Laney feels so bad for your joke of a business that she’s putting her own money into the register.”

And then I’m pissed off. Shawn just ruined any shot he ever may have had with me with that statement, not that I ever thought I’d actually go out with him. But the dumbass doesn’t stop there. He looks at me and then back at Austin menacingly. “I already could have had Laney bent over the counter begging for it if I’d wanted her.”

Austin is quick. Shawn barely gets the insult out before Austin jumps over the counter. Shawn is backing up, his eyes widening, but it’s too late to be sorry. Austin punches Shawn so hard he pushes the door open, falling onto the cement sidewalk out front.

Shawn is ten different kinds of stupid because he yells, “Keep your slutty, fat whore away from me” while he’s trying to peel himself off of the sidewalk.

I run after Austin when he goes out the door. I arrive just in time to see Austin dragging Shawn up onto his feet. “You wanna say that again, asshole?” Austin roars.

“Nope, this is over,” I say, getting between the two of them.

“Aw shit, I’m sorry Laney—” Shawn starts.

Austin’s arm snakes around my stomach and picks me up, swinging me out of the way. He punches Shawn right in the mouth, which is still open. “You don’t ever fuckin’ talk to her again,” Austin rages.

How he did it I don’t know,