Page 53 of Badd Baby

I started toward the hallway, but Hamish's blocky big fist caught my arm and held me in place. "Nae, lad, let the numpty dig his own grave. This is a confrontation two months in the making. He's been spoutin' shite about her since she left him, and now it's all come due. It's her fight, Duncan."

"Maybe so, but I'm gonna be there just in case." I jerked my arm out of his grip and pushed through the crowd, taking up a spot near the hallway mouth where I could watch and listen without being obvious.

"…Didn't give me a chance to explain, Rune!" Hayes was saying. "You popped off and threw my trophies at my fucking head!"

Rune growled in frustrated rage. "Hayes, you fucking moron! There’s no explanation you could possibly give that would make anything better!"

"But—"

"No, stop—just fucking stop. Did you or did you not put your penis in that girl's vagina?"

"Well…we…I…"

"It's a very simple question, you lumpy sack of fucks. Yes or no?"

"Yes, but—"

"Ohmygod, Hayes! Just fucking stop! The cheating was just the last straw, you do realize that, don’t you?" She got in his face, shouting. "You are a terrible human being! You were a terrible boyfriend. Yes, you have a pretty face, but you're a pathetic piece of shit! You know how many different mental and emotional hangups you gave me?"

I noticed a distinct reduction in the volume of the bar; a quick glance told me people had noticed the confrontation and were tuning in.

"What are you talking about?" Hayes demanded. "I loved you!"

"Oh fuck you! Fuck you till the end of time, Hayes Motherfucking Willoughby. If the way you treated me when we were together was love, then I shudder to think how you treat people you don't like. You fucked me up, bad."

Rune hadn't noticed that everyone was watching and listening, and something told me she wouldn't want this kind of attention. I had to do something.

I shoved through the crowd, climbed up onto the bar, and held my pint glass up. "I'd like to propose a toast!" I shouted, drawing everyone's attention to myself. "We're all here for two people! Raquel and Hamish!"

Everyone cheered, and glasses were lifted to the ceiling.

"I just met you guys yesterday, but I can already tell that you're my kind of people. My toast is simple, you two. Here's to a long and happy life together."

I hopped down, ignoring the dirty look from the bartender, and stole a look around the room—I spotted Rune exiting the hotel bar and vanishing into the lobby, her keycard for our room in hand.

I set my nearly-empty glass down on the nearest table and hustled after her. She vanished into a full elevator, the door closing on her; she was breathing hard, visibly upset. I couldn't tell by her face if she was crying or not since her head was ducked, chin to her chest, but judging by the way her shoulders were heaving, she was definitely crying.

I snagged the next elevator and rode it up to our floor, arriving at our room right as it the door clicked closed.

I opened it with my card and stepped inside. Rune was facing away from the door, shoulders shaking. "Go away, Duncan."

I halted behind her, close enough to touch, to wrap my arms around her—I didn't, yet. “’Lumpy sack of fucks’ was a truly inspired insult. I’m for sure stealing that one."

She sniffled a laugh. "Thanks. Doesn't do him justice, though."

"No, it certainly doesn't. What did you ever see in that putz in the first place?"

"I wish I could say. I don't remember. He's not even as good looking as I used to think he was." She inhaled, held it, and let out a long shuddery breath. "Why did you do that, Duncan?"

"Do what?"

"Oh, I dunno, bait Hayes? Kiss me like that in front of the whole bar? Jump up and do a big toast when you don’t even know anyone?"

“Well, answering in order…" I cleared my throat and started over. "Number one, I baited Hayes Motherfucking Willoughby—"

"I think we can just call him Hayes at this point. The whole name thing is getting exhausting, and I’m tired of giving him my time, attention, or energy."

"Fine by me," I said. "So, to continue. I baited him because I saw him glaring at you like he was pissed at you for even existing. It made me angry on your behalf, so I decided to fuck with him. Number two, I kissed you like that for two reasons. One, because I'm fucking obsessed with kissing you. Number two, because I knew it would really get that bitch's goat seeing me kiss you. And then as for the toast thing, that was for you."