Page 30 of A Change of Heart

“Fine,” she replied curtly. “What do you want to drink?”

They ordered beers and she felt Felix’s eyes on her the whole time she poured them.

“It’s nice to see you again,” he remarked when she set his drink in front of him.

“I’m not sure the feeling’s mutual.”

Cadan punched Felix’s arm. “Told you she’s still pissed off at you.”

“Aw, come on.” Felix gazed at her intently. “That was all a long time ago. We had some good times, didn’t we?”

“Debatable,” she said. “But I definitely didn’t enjoy watching you snogging Cindy Taylor in that corner” – she pointed – “on my twenty-first birthday. With all my friends and family around.”

His smirk annoyed her immensely. “I got confused. Thought it was you.”

“You went home with her,” she pointed out, her voice hostile as the emotions from the past enveloped her. It would be better to pretend she was well and truly over it, but she didn’t seem capable of that.

“That was a mistake.” His lips lifted in amusement and he kept his dark eyes on her as he took a swig of his pint. “It’s my biggest regret,” he said in an eerily quiet voice.

“That’s hard to believe, given that I never even got an apology.”

“I’m sure I said sorry.”

“Not that it would have made any difference, but you didn’t.”

He sat up straighter, pushing his hair off his face. “Well, wasn’t I a jerk?”

Cadan cracked up laughing and Seren wandered away from them, wishing the pub was busier so she had other customers to distract her. As it was, there were only a couple of tables in the back occupied. She was thankful when the door opened. Her smile came naturally for Kit and he grinned at her in return.

“Long time no see,” he joked.

“It’s like you can’t stay away from me.” The flirting was automatic and it didn’t even occur to her to care.

“Seems like it, doesn’t it?” He held her gaze for a moment, making her insides flutter. “Can I have a bottle of lager, please?”

“You can.” She’d only just turned away from him when she heard Felix and Cadan chatting loudly. The mention of the train made her stomach lurch.

“You’re the train guy, right?” Felix asked, leaning in Kit’s direction. “Noah’s baby brother.”

Kit’s eyebrows hitched slightly. “That’s me.”

For a moment, Felix seemed as though he’d leave it at that. Unfortunately, only for a moment. “You own the bus too, don’t you?”

“Yep.” Kit nodded a greeting at Cadan as Seren put his beer on the bar.

“So, it’s like a transport fetish?” Felix asked.

Resisting the urge to slap the stupid smirk off his face, Seren glared at Felix instead. “It’s a successful business, is what it is. Probably not something you’d know anything about.” She was fairly sure that Felix’s work in web design was his own business and only hoped he wasn’t particularly successful.

“You’re very feisty with me this evening.” His eyes moved slowly to Seren. “Glad to see our old spark is still there.”

“You’re pathetic.” Her heart raced and she hated how easy it was for him to get under her skin.

“So, how fast does your train go?” Felix asked Kit, his tone making the innocent question sound like an insult.

“Will you either shut up or get out?” Seren snarled at him.

“It was only a question,” Felix said, laughter in his eyes. “How come you’re so protective of Baby Treneary? Can’t he speak for himself?”