Page 43

“I think you already know.”

I scowled. “Do you realize what people are calling me?”

His smile spread. I figured there was just enough room for my foot so I could kick him in the teeth.

“I had a feeling you wouldn’t like your new name.”

“You started the rumors, didn’t you?” I charged, looming close and pointing an accusing finger at him, ready to poke him as hard as I could in the chest.

Grin dying, Ryder narrowed his eyes

and glared right back. “Why would I start the rumors?”

“Because…” I faltered, not too sure of a reason. Before I could think up an answer, someone slipped an arm around my shoulder and tugged my left side against a warm body.

Screeching, I leaped away and almost bumped into Ryder. He grasped my arm to steady me even as I discovered who was harassing me.

Todd offered me an apologetic smile. “Sorry about that.”

“You!” I growled, pointing my angry digit at him now.

Todd pulled back, lifting his brows. “What? What’s wrong?”

“We need to talk.” Spinning around, I marched down the hall toward another smaller passage that led to a side, emergency exit. It was abandoned just as I’d hoped it would be.

Behind me, I heard Ryder’s gloating taunt, “You’re gonna get in trouble,” before footsteps hurried after me.

When I whirled back around, I was happy and a little surprised to see Todd had actually followed me.

The control I suddenly wielded from managing to make him obey my command empowered me to speak my mind.

“First of all,” I started. “I’m not some trophy to wave around because you think you beat someone else in a competition that didn’t even take place. I’m a human being…with feelings. And I don’t appreciate becoming the object of a gloat. So don’t ever do that again.”

Todd crinkled his brows, then scratched at his goatee with a scrambled kind of confusion before he said, “Umm, don’t do what again, exactly?”

I sighed and rolled my eyes. “Never mind.” There was too much to rail about to stop and explain. “Second of all, everyone is calling me Stangman’s woman this morning. And I have no idea who’s behind it.”

Eyes clearing—thank goodness he actually understood this complaint—Todd grinned. “Oh, well that’s easy. I am.”

“You?” I exploded. “You mean you started those rumors? How could you?”

Smile crumbling, Todd blinked, his confusion reappearing. “I’m sorry. Didn’t you want anyone to know?”

“Of course I don’t. Why would I want people thinking something that’s not true?”

“Not true?” he echoed.

“Oh, my God.” Was he serious? “Todd! I didn’t even know your last name was Stangman until just now.”

“So…you’re not interested in me because my last name’s Stangman?”

“No. I’m not interested because…because… Actually, I have no idea if I’m interested or not. I only met you yesterday. That’s not enough time to make this kind of decision.”

He snorted a disgusted kind of scoff that sounded downright indignant when he muttered, “Yeah, well, it didn’t take you that long to know if you were interested in Yates or not.”

I gasped and jerked a step back. I wanted to be mad but, dear Lord, he was right. I’d known immediately I was definitely interested in Ryder, even if I’d told him I wasn’t.

I could almost hear Ryder’s voice in my head, the very words he’d written in our chat. If you liked it, you’d know. He’d been talking about the kiss. But I thought this situation fit as well. If I thought I could ever be interested in Todd as a boyfriend, I wouldn’t need more time; I’d already know. And then I could get to know him from there to see if the interest bloomed into something deeper.