The Right Guy - Liz Lovelock Page 0,16
arms to steady me. “Whoa, easy. You good?”
Pulling my arms from his grip, I say, “Yeah, thanks. Sorry. This place is crazy full, and I didn’t see you until it was too late.”
“Hey, that’s okay. I’m glad it was you who ran into me.” He winks.
“Oh, really? You don’t even know who I am. I could be your worst nightmare for all you know.”
He lifts an eyebrow. He leans into me; our faces are mere inches apart. My breath hitches at his closeness. “Oh, I hope you are. We could have some fun.”
Pushing against his chest to put some space between us, I laugh. “You don’t know me at all, and you’ve got me all wrong, buddy. I’m not that kind of girl.”
Alex reaches up and runs his fingers down my cheek. I shudder at his touch. “What’s your name?”
Before I can open my mouth to respond, a large frame steps up beside me. Jase stands there with his stony gaze right on Alex. I sigh. “Alex, can I help you?” he asks.
Alex steps out of my space and stands tall. “Nah, J. I was getting acquainted with this beautiful girl, and you butted in before I could find out her name.” A grin tugs at the corner of his mouth.
Jase’s arm wraps around my shoulders, and he pulls me against him. “She’s not interested.”
My head whips in his direction. As much as I want to stop this pissing contest, I don’t have what it takes to ward off people like Alex. He’s a smooth talker. I, for one, would have no problem hitting him where it hurts if he tried something.
Alex raises his hands. “All right. Sorry. Didn’t mean to start anything.” He moves around us, giving me a wink. When he disappears, my body instantly relaxes. I didn’t realize I was so wound up and tense.
Jase’s frame moves right in front of me. “Are you okay?” His worried electric-blue eyes bore into mine. My bottom lip trembles. This is the kind of scene I’m not accustomed to.
Stepping back, I straighten my back. “I’m fine, thanks,” I snap, annoyed. “As much as I’m thankful to you for stepping in, just stop. I can handle things myself. I don’t need a superhero today; I needed one for the last ten years.” The last sentence is a slip in my façade. My hands tremble, and an ache forms right in the middle of my heart.
“Hey, whoa, I was looking out for you. Sorry for caring.” He turns and stalks away.
Guilt rushes through every part of me. I chase after him. Grabbing his arm, I say, “Jase, stop.”
He does; he doesn’t look happy about it, though. His lips form a thin line. “What?”
I meet his heavy gaze. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bite your head off. I have a few things I need to let go of when it comes to you and me,” I say, shocked at my blunt honesty.
His brow furrows, and he crosses his large arms over his chest. His tattoos catch my attention. “What things? Let’s hash them out now so I can stop feeling as if I’m walking on eggshells around you. I’ve gone out of my way to try and fix whatever issue you seem to have with me.”
“I know. I’m sorry. The issues are mine. I can’t help the way I feel at the moment.”
There’s a beat of silence between us. Loud music thumps, and louder voices surround us.
“Perhaps it’s better if I give you the space you need to sort out whatever it is you have going on.” His words sting.
“Oh, okay. Well, if that’s what you want.” I stumble over my words, feeling foolish.
“I can’t do this with you. This back and forth. I thought we’d agreed to be friends, yet you’re still cold toward me. You can hardly make eye contact with me for longer than five seconds. What the hell did I ever do to cause you to hate me?” His arms tense as he speaks.
Swallowing the fear clawing in my throat, I say, “You forgot me, ignored me, and now you expect all to be forgiven. You don’t know what my life has been like for the past ten years. You stand in front of me with everything you want at your fingertips. Screw you, Jase. Just pretend I don’t exist. You’re good at that.” Before he can say anything else, I turn and storm off without the drink I was hoping to get.
Without watching where I am going,