Page 17

CHAPTER 17

SHE’S JAKE MILLER’S GIRL

XANDER

August

The sound of heels clicking across the floor pulls my attention away from Bella. As I turn, a woman appears at my side, someone I met at the club after the Warriors party. She was hanging out with the team, and from the way everyone spoke to her, it was clear they all knew her.

She pulls her shoulders back and breaks into a seductive smile. “What a nice surprise! Hey, Xander!”

“Hi…Cindy, right?”

“It’s so sweet of you to remember.” She juts out one hip, making her dress rise a little. “How are you?”

“Not bad.” I sneak a glance at Bella.

Across the table, the woman I can’t get my mind off watches the newcomer. She’s wearing that closed-off, distant expression again, and there isn’t a hint of a smile on her lips.

Fuck . This is the last thing I need when I’m trying to get Bella to trust me. This girl needs to leave.

I clear my throat and turn back to Cindy, eager to get the interaction over with. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m going out with my girls later. Figured I could use some caffeine first.” She bites her bottom lip and arches her eyebrow. “Any chance you wanna join?”

Wow. The blatant disregard for Bella is actually astounding. I hate when people are rude for no fucking reason.

“Sorry, no.” I plaster a smile onto my face. But my heart isn’t in it, so it probably looks like a grimace. “I’m actually busy.” I nod at Bella and pick up my espresso again.

The corners of Cindy’s mouth drop, but only for a heartbeat before she quickly smiles again. As if she’s just now noticing I’m not alone, she whips her head to Bella.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I was so excited to see Xander, I forgot my manners.”

I have to hold back a snort. Does she really think either of us believes that?

“I’m Cindy.”

Bella’s expression remains neutral. “Hi.”

Cindy narrows her eyes, her lips thinning, as if she’s annoyed that Bella doesn’t introduce herself.

Why would she, after the way Cindy ignored her?

When Bella doesn’t give in, Cindy turns back to me. “I gotta run. Sorry for the intrusion. I hope to see you soon.” She turns, but before she makes it more than a step, she peers over her shoulder, wearing a calculated smile, and homes in on Bella. “Oh, by the way, tell your boyfriend Cindy said hi. I’m sure he remembers me.”

“My boyfriend?” Bella asks.

“Yeah. You’re Jake Miller’s girlfriend, aren’t you?” Cindy bats her eyelashes. “I recognized you right away.”

“Sorry, I can’t say the same.”

“Aw, that’s okay. I wouldn’t expect you to know who I am. Jake mentioned you’re a homebody, and we both know he’s quite the party animal.”

Bella smiles broadly, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. “Definitely.” She nods. “Goodbye, Cindy.”

“Bye,” Cindy mewls as she finally walks away, her heels clacking as she approaches the counter. A few minutes later, she’s gone, thank fuck. The ding of the bell announces her departure.

The whole time, Bella sits ramrod straight, her focus fixed on something behind me. The vacant expression on her face has goosebumps erupting all over my skin.

Suddenly, as if she’s a machine that has just been rebooted, she blinks and peers at me. “Do you mind if I go?”

“Are you okay?”

Standing, she smooths the front of her skirt. “Everything’s fine. I just want to call and get the vanity ordered.”

She slips her phone into her purse, then crouches in front of my dog and pets him gently.

“You’re such a good boy, Milo. I was really happy to see you. Bye, buddy.”

When she stands, she gives me a small smile and takes a step.

Before she can go farther, I hold out Milo’s leash to her. “Wait. We’ll go with you.”

Though her expression is wary, she takes the leash.

“I need to pay for my coffee; then we can go.”

With a silent nod, she guides Milo out of the shop. The dog is smitten with her, and I can’t really blame him.

I quickly pay for my coffee, stuff a twenty into the tip jar, then stroll out the door. The warm late-August air makes my skin hum. Or maybe it’s being in Bella’s proximity. She stands a few feet away, watching Milo roll on the grass as if it’s the most fascinating sight in the world. I stop by her side and assess her. She’s dressed in a white T-shirt, a skirt that’s dotted with little red flowers, and beige platform sandals. Her hair is in a high ponytail, giving me a view of her delicate neck.

Her chest rises and falls rapidly—she’s nervous. But why?

Because of me? Miller? What Cindy said?

When she notices me, she holds out Milo’s leash. I take it, brushing her fingers on purpose. The contact makes my fingertips tingle, yet she looks absolutely unaffected.

With a deep breath, she takes a step away from me. “I gotta go.”

My gut plummets. Go? No. I’m not letting her leave in this state.

I catch her elbow. “Stay.”

“Xander, I’m?—”

“Stay,” I urge and turn her to face me. “Talk to me.”

“There’s nothing to talk about.”

“You’re a bad liar,” I tell her in a quiet voice. “You’re hiding behind your fake smile, but I see the real you.”

With a scowl, she yanks her elbow out of my grip. “You’re imagining things.”

“Talk to me. Is this about what Cindy said?” I furrow my brow, studying her.

God, she has always been hard to read, but this is taking it to a new level. She’s like a trap, showing me the tiniest glimpse of her true feelings before snapping closed the moment I reach out.

She doesn’t feel like she can trust me.

I need to change that.

I grab her hand and pull her away from the shop, away from our cars. Just down the block, there’s a little park tucked between two buildings.

She tries to free her hand, but I only tighten my grip on her.

Once we’re standing in the grass, I finally release her. Milo sniffs around us, and I give the retractable leash a little more slack. He happily struts forward, and we follow.

I figure Bella will bolt. Instead, she sticks to my side but remains quiet and aloof, as if she climbed inside herself and shut the door.

“You know,” I say, “a few years ago, I saw a therapist. I was surprised by how easy it was to open up.”

She peeks up at me, her lips parting in surprise. Because I’m openly admitting to seeing a therapist, maybe?

“She told me it’s normal to open up to new people. Our problems wouldn’t affect strangers much. They don’t care about the consequences of their help for us. Our past, our expectations for our future, it all means shit to them. They only focus on our present, on the immediate problem we’re facing. The problem we need their help with.”

Milo stops to sniff the grass, so Bella and I pause too. She watches me, but she doesn’t say anything.

I give her a minute, and when she stays silent, I take the hint. She doesn’t plan to respond. “I’m basically a stranger. I don’t judge. You don’t need to tell me about your past or your plans for your future. Talk to me about now . Tell me what’s wrong.”

Shoulders slumped, she shakes her head. “It’s probably stupid.”

“Or maybe it’s not,” I counter briskly. “C’mon. Tell me. Even if it is stupid, I promise I won’t laugh.”

She inhales and lets the air out of her lungs slowly. Then, finally, in the quietest of voices, she says, “Did you hear how Cindy talked about Jake? As if she knows him. Not in some friendly way, but as if she knows him…on an intimate level.”

A lump forms in my throat, making it hard to breathe. I want to expose Miller, but only when the time is right—and now is not that time. So, I keep my thoughts to myself and stick with asking her questions. “Do you think Jake is cheating on you?”

“Maybe,” she whispers. “I don’t know.”

“Cindy likes attention. That was obvious within minutes of meeting her,” I say as Milo takes off again, leading us across the park. “She wasn’t happy that I kinda dismissed her in the coffee shop. And she definitely didn’t like when you acted indifferent toward her. I wouldn’t let her response bother you. Don’t drive yourself crazy trying to read between the lines. She’s no one, just a girl who doesn’t like to be told no.”

“She’s exactly your type, isn’t she?” The words are so quiet, I barely make them out.

Frowning, I examine her closed-off expression. “Did Miller tell you that?”

She shrugs. “He said enough.”

“Your boyfriend knows nothing about me that doesn’t relate to football.” I halt in my tracks and turn to her.

Bella does the same, her stormy eyes on me.

“But sadly, he doesn’t know you either.”

I press a palm to her cheek.

Rather than flinch away or back up like I expect, she stays rooted to the spot, watching me. A rush of electricity courses through me, and the world around us slows. Tingles assault my body, an exhilarating sensation I’ve never experienced before. The more I look at her, the more my skin burns.

Fucking hell…I’m in so much trouble.

I’m attracted to this woman. I have been since the moment I laid eyes on her at the welcome party.

Dammit. I’m screwed.

She’s Jake Miller’s girl.

I can’t be attracted to her.

Slowly, I take a step back and drop my hand. “Cindy was at the club after the Warriors party, but I didn’t see her with Jake. I can say with certainty she left the club with a guy, but it wasn’t your boyfriend.”

Bella nods, taking in the quiet park. “Thank you so much, Xander. I really appreciate it.”

When her gaze lands on Milo, her lips finally tip up a fraction. The tiny giggle that escapes her slides right under my skin, making me feel featherlight.

“Your dog is something else.”

“Milo is the best.”

“He sure is.” She cocks her head and threads her fingers through her ponytail. “I’ll call you when I have a confirmed delivery date for the vanity.”

“Awesome.” I don’t want her to go . “But will you stay for a little longer? Milo and I are going for a short walk before we head home.”

“I’d love that.” That flicker of a smile returns.

My chest tightens in a way it shouldn’t. “Then let’s go.”