Page 120 of Bossy Wicked Prince

“In the name of poker night, I’m picking up,” Beau replies. “No more interruptions.”

“Please, don’t, for the love of?—”

“Hello, you’ve reached Ryan’s phone,” Beau says. “Here’s Ryan.”

Ryan’s face is bright red, and he’s got an expression on his face that I’ve never seen before.

“Uh, hey, Kirsten,” he says awkwardly. “Sorry I missed your calls.”

“You goddamn liar!” she shrieks, and I realize that the call’s on speakerphone. “There’s no way you missed me calling you twenty times. What the hell is wrong with you?”

“I’ve been busy,” Ryan says.

“Busy doing what? Fucking half of Toronto??”

Luke, Beau, and Nate all have their hands over their mouths to stop themselves from laughing. Even James’s lips are curled up in a smile. Ryan, meanwhile, looks like he’s about to be sick.

“We weren’t exclusive, Kirsten. I thought you knew that,” he mutters.

“No, we’re not! Do you have any idea how many guys would kill to be with me? I’m a fucking runway model, Ryan! But you don’t even text me, even after I let you do that thing you wanted with my ass?—”

Ryan grabs for the phone and hangs up while the guys howl with laughter.

“Whoa, I didnotwant to know that much about Ryan’s sex life,” Beau says with a chuckle.

“Whydidn’tyou call the ‘fucking runway model’ back?” Luke teases. “You can always give her my number.”

“You don’t want that,” Ryan groans. “She’s a total stalker. I didn’t call her back one time, when I was in an all-day tournament. She showed up here and snuck past the doorman into my place. I don’t know how she got up the freaking elevator, but when I got home, she’d smashed half my dishes as ‘punishment.’ I’ve been dodging her ever since.”

I cringe. I usually think it’s classless when guys trash-talk their exes, but Kirsten clearly crossed a line.

“What do you think, Cat?” Beau calls over. “Should Ryan give this chick another chance?”

“No,” I say coolly. “You don’t give a stalker second chances.”

Nate freezes. Even from here, I can see his face go paper-white.

The other guys exchange glances.

“Maybe she didn’t mean to stalk me,” Ryan says awkwardly. “She probably had good intentions. Maybe it was just because she cared about me so much.”

“Forgiveness is important,” Luke adds. “If you really like each other, you can get over anything.”

“I’m sure she’s really sorry and wishes she could fix it,” Beau says.

So he did tell them everything…

“Leave her alone,” Nate interrupts, his voice dripping with venom. “Let Cat finish her work in peace, for fuck’s sake.”

Looking at Nate, it all comes rushing back. The kisses, the jokes, the praise. Him negotiating me into accepting a ride home. Feeding me tarts in Paris. Wrapping his arms around me in New York.

I can’t push down how much I miss him, or how betrayed he made me feel.

I can’t stop the tears that rush to my eyes.

Nate sees just how much he’s hurt me, and in that moment, I think both our hearts break apart.

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