Page 10 of Accidental Husband

It's hard to see the details in the dim light, but I recognize it right away. The design he did for me. For us. When he first started tattooing. When I promised I'd never fall back into ugly habits.

This Too Shall Passin a thin, cursive script, surrounded by peonies.

The tattoo on my wrist.

The one he traces every time he sees me.

"Come to Vegas,” he says. “It's only a few days. It will be fun."

"Maybe." There's so much in this design. Things I can't handle right now. Promises I failed to keep.

"Jules—"

"Yeah?"

"You're being fucking stupid. Jackson is an asshole who never deserved you." His expression softens. "But I have heard stories about relationships."

"Have you?"

He nods, takes the paper, slips it into his backpack, stands. "I hear they fucking suck." He offers me his hand and nods to the beach.Let's walk.

He helps me collect my stuff and climb down the lifeguard stand.

It's freezing on the sand. Or maybe I'm underdressed. I've lived in Southern California my entire life, but I'm still not used to the temperature dropping thirty degrees between afternoon and evening.

Without a word, Griffin shrugs his hoodie off his shoulders and drapes it around mine.

My nose scrunches with distaste. "Do I really need to advertise your shitty taste in music?"

"Of course." He moves closer. And drops his voice to something that barely competes with the wind and the surf. "He didn't deserve you."

Yeah, but I'm not ready to discuss that yet. "Seriously, Griff. Don't."

"I won't. Not again. But it has to be said."

"Thank you." I swallow hard.

He nodssure thing. "He'd want you to ditch Vegas."

Probably true, but—"Are you going to use my ex as some card to manipulate me for the rest of my life?"

"If it works, yeah."

I can't help but laugh. He's so honest about being an asshole. "Seriously, why do I talk to you?"

He motions to his face. "It's the beautiful mug."

"I've seen better."

"Oh yeah?" He raises a brow. "Should we ask around?"

"Ask who?"

He motions to the boardwalk a hundred feet away. It's ramping down, but it's still thronged with tourists, merchants, skateboarders.

Plenty of people to assess Griffin's attractiveness. Which is stupid. And vain.

We both know he's conventionally attractive. There's nothing to prove.