with the fast food on it. Tam led the way to a booth in the corner, and he put the tray down before sliding in opposite of her.
“I’m an idiot,” he said.
Tam picked up her chicken sandwich and started unwrapping it. “Why’s that?” She looked at him with those piercing blue eyes, and Blaine saw her annoyance.
“Uh, for, um, calling my mom?”
Tam shook her head. “Try again.”
Blaine didn’t want to try again. “Just tell me why you think I’m an idiot.”
She took a bite of her sandwich instead, her eyes never leaving his. He couldn’t even get himself to unwrap his sandwich, so he picked up a French fry instead.
After she swallowed, she said, “I don’t think you’re an idiot.”
“You’re mad.”
“I’m not mad. I’m frustrated that you called me to come have lunch with you, only to find you talking to Alex and automatically becoming so obsessed with her that you had to call your mother.”
“I’m not so obsessed with her,” he said.
“Why do you care why she’s at that store and not running some stupid fundraiser somewhere?”
“I don’t.”
Tam shook her head. “Yes, you do.”
Blaine didn’t know what to say. He did care, and he didn’t know why. “You cared that Hayes would see you’d moved on. Maybe I want her to see that I’ve moved on. That I’m okay.”
Tam rolled her eyes. “She doesn’t care, Blaine. She wouldn’t even sell you a ring. She asked you to leave.”
Blaine’s irritation with her sparked. “She asked us to leave.”
“She doesn’t even believe there is an us,” Tam said.
A knife went through Blaine’s heart. “Yeah, what was that about? Her laughing like that?”
“She’s not worth my time,” Tam said. “I’m not going to waste a moment worrying about what Alex Alloy thinks about me.”
Blaine normally wouldn’t either, but something seethed under his skin. What was so unbelievable about him and Tam being together?
He pushed Alex and her reaction to his relationship Tam out of his mind. Tam was right; Alex wasn’t worth his time, and he shouldn’t waste a moment worrying about what she thought.
17
“I’m sorry, Tam,” Blaine said. He stood next to her truck with her, his head bent down. “I—you have to get back to work.” He looked up and their eyes met. “Can I bring dinner by tonight?”
“I’m going to my parents’, remember? It’s their anniversary.”
“Is Chris going with Cara?”
“I don’t know,” Tam said. She wasn’t sure if she wanted Blaine to come or not. He’d met her parents plenty of times over the years, obviously. They knew she was dating him. She’d thought she knew how serious they were getting, but the scene in the jewelry store had rocked her a little bit.
She could still hear Alex’s incredulous laughter, and while she’d told Blaine she wasn’t going to waste a moment caring what Alex thought about her, she hadn’t actually been able to get to that point yet.
She refused to look to the right to see the shop. “Stacy will be there. It could be…ugly.”
Blaine nodded. “Okay, so I’ll see you tomorrow then.”
“That’s probably best.” She put her hand on his chest and slid it up until her fingers curled around the back of his neck. “Tell me what you’re doing the rest of the day.”
He sighed, but he put one hand on her waist, and things started to settle in Tam’s mind. They were fine; they were okay. It didn’t matter if Alex didn’t believe they were a couple or that she wouldn’t sell Blaine an engagement ring. She wasn’t the only jeweler in town. She wasn’t a jeweler at all.
“I’m going to go with Trey over to Beth’s,” he said. “Her hand is healing up real well, but she still needs a lot of help.”
“How are things going with them?”
“Uh, he doesn’t really say,” Blaine said. “From what I can tell, they’re either slow or just friends.”
“He hasn’t taken her to dinner?”
“Not that I’m aware of,” Blaine said.
“What are you doing tonight?” She really wanted to hear him say he wasn’t going to keep looking into this situation with Alex. She knew Blaine, though, and when his curiosity took over, he could become obsessed about something. Or someone.
She really didn’t want him obsessing over his ex-fiancée. Hadn’t he been upset with her for doing the same thing?
Tam still thought about Hayes from time to time. She did want him to know he hadn’t beaten her or broken her. The best way to do that would be to get engaged, but Blaine wasn’t asking.
It’s your fault, she