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“Then she obviously doesn’t want to talk to you.”
“Obviously,” I laughed under my breath. “Here we go.” I walked to the edge of her porch and started a war. “Clearly, you don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about. Because if you did, you would know that sheobviouslyjust can’t hear me!”
“Clearly, you’re stupid if you think she can’t hear you pounding on the door. Take a hint, buddy.”
“There’s no hint to take,” I snapped. “Obviously, there’s been a misunderstanding. I’m not some psycho that stalks women and stands on their porch for hours on end.”
“Clearly, that’spreciselywhat you’re doing!”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!” I snapped. “Let’s not get carried away with our words. I’m notpreciselydoing anything of the kind. In fact, if you knew the situation, you’d be on my side. I’m trying to talk to her, which ispreciselywhy I’m standing on this porch making a fool of myself.”
“Then youclearlydon’t understand women. Banging on her door is not the way to get her to talk to you.”
I huffed out a laugh, shoving my hands on my hips. Man, this guy just wasn’t going to let this go. “Alright, let’s just say for a moment that you were talking with a friend and a woman overheard the conversation, misinterpreting what you were saying…Clearly, that’s a situation where you stand on the porch until she answers the door.”
“Well, obviously, if she overheard you and your friend talking, it was bad enough that she doesn’t want to talk to you. Which is precisely why you should leave!”
“Hey, listen, buddy?—”
The door swung open and Laura stepped out, marching up to me so fast that I backed up into the railing. “Would the both of you shutup? If I have to hear clearly, obviously, or precisely one more time, I’m going to call the cops and have you both thrown in jail becauseclearly, that’s what you both need!”
Before I could say a word, she stomped back into the house and slammed the door. I flinched at the force of it and knew my shot was over when I heard the door lock.
The neighbor snorted. “Clearly, you fucked that up,” he said, right before he walked back into his house and slammed the door.
38
LAURA
“I toldyou to go for it a while back,” Edith droned on in my ear as I walked into the school. “Is it really surprising that he got tired of waiting around?”
“I think you’re missing the point, Edith. He wanted me gone for two weeks and didn’t tell me!”
“Yes, but he only wanted you gone because you wouldn’t put out. Didn’t I tell you that would backfire?”
“Sure, this is all my fault,” I grumbled, yanking the door open, only to find Dash standing in front of me, his hands shoved in his pockets as he stared at me with what appeared to be longing.
Longing for what? Was this because I was no longer there to cook him dinner? I guess he should have thought about that before he decided to have that talk with Brock.
“Edith, I have to go. There’s a bug I need to squash.”
“Uh-oh. He’s there?” Her tone was off, almost like she knew this would happen.
“What did you do?”
“Nothing! Why would you assume that I would have anything to do with the gorgeous man showing up at the very place you work because you didn’t have the nerve to talk to him first. Bythe way, you should really listen. You might find out a thing or two.”
The line went dead, but that didn’t mean I was about to take her advice. I smiled at him like I had a million times before, then slipped right past him. “Good morning, Dash. What brings you to the school? Did you forget something? Like basic manners?”
“Laura, you have to let me explain.”
“I don’t need you to explain,” I said in a neutral tone as I continued down the hall to my classroom. He ran behind me, keeping up and trying to stop me by getting in my face, but I just walked around him. “Laura, I know you’re upset?—”
“I’m not upset,” I cut in.
“You’re not upset?”
“Nope, I’m perfectly fine.”