Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 122216 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 611(@200wpm)___ 489(@250wpm)___ 407(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 122216 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 611(@200wpm)___ 489(@250wpm)___ 407(@300wpm)
“Minnie is incomparable in the mini-sandwich game. Eat up.”
Ruby takes another. “We’re still talking, like I said. I need more of an explanation. Why are you being so nice? And why is your mouth so… so…” She takes a particularly aggressive bite of her sandwich. “So—”
“Bro!”
Fuck. I know that voice.
“Bro-ski!”
Ruby freezes.
Shit.
“Todd.” I turn and find my old high school friend Todd Davies. An all-around piece of shit who peaked in senior year and has been trying to relive the ‘glory days’ ever since. His family is rich, but nowhere near the Lovejoy level. He always had a chip on his shoulder about that fact. Not to mention, he’s also the same immature jackass he always was.
“Knox, bro. Long time, man. How you doing?” He leans over, his gaze catching on Ruby.
I tense.
“Is that … Yeah, it is! Ruby!” He laughs. “Didn’t see that one coming.”
“What do you mean, Todd?” I try to keep my tone level, even as I can feel Ruby holding her breath.
“You know.” He stands straight again and gives me a conspiratorial look. “You slumming it. But I guess you got to get that cheap pussy sometim—”
I move before I even know I’m doing it.
And the next thing I know, Todd is on the floor, my knuckles are stinging, and the restaurant is shocked into silence.
10
RUBY
Violence should never be the choice if there’s a way to avoid it. In fact, it’s disgusting. Well, at least normally it is. Right now, I’m feeling far from disgusted as I watch Knox standing up for me. He looms over Todd, who is laid out on the floor with his hand at his chin. I think he’s as shocked as everyone else in the restaurant.
“Keep running that mouth of yours, and I’ll break your jaw next time.” Knox takes a step toward him.
The jerk’s eyes widen, and he starts to try to crab walk backwards to get away from him. Knox leans down to grab him. Todd doesn’t get far before Knox nabs him.
“Knox, man. The hell? We’re buds.”
Knox yanks Todd to his feet by the collar of his shirt. Blood pools in the corner of Todd’s mouth. I know I shouldn’t feel a sense of satisfaction at the sight of it, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t. Todd is a bully. He always has been and obviously never changed over the years. It’s nice to see someone put him in his place.
“We’re not buds. Now apologize to my girl.”
“Your gi—” Todd shuts up when Knox pulls him closer and says something into his ear too low for me to hear. Todd’s face goes as white as a ghost, all of the blood draining from it. “I’m sorry, Ruby. I’m an asshole.”
“Okay,” I agree. What else am I supposed to say? “Let him go, Knox. I don’t want our food to get cold.” I pat the seat next to me, trying to lure him back. There’s a glint in Knox’s eye that has me worrying for Todd. I’ve never seen this side of Knox, but I’m learning there’s a lot more to this man than I ever realized.
“Don’t come back in here.” He releases Todd with a shove. Todd stumbles forward a few steps before getting his footing and taking off out of the restaurant without looking back.
“You banned him. I think that might be worse than hitting him. To know this food is in our town but he can’t have it anymore. That’s cold,” I tease, trying to calm Knox. The anger rolling off of him is intense. He shifts his gaze back to me. His eyes soften before he smirks. I press my thighs together. Let’s be honest, I’m way too turned on by all this.
“A round of dessert and drinks for everyone. It’s on the house,” Knox declares to the restaurant before he slips back into his seat, leaving not a centimeter of space between us.
The whole restaurant applauds.
“I’m sorry.” He leans over and places a kiss on the shell of my ear.
“Why are you sorry? He’s the prick.”
“I made the mistake of letting him think we were friends at one time and that he could say something like that to me without getting his ass laid out.”
“So you weren't friends?”
“Nope. I don’t know what you call the people I hung out with in high school. Users? Immature idiots? But they definitely weren’t my friends.” He shrugs. “I suppose I used them back to a degree as well.”
“Wow,” I say, surprised once again at his candor. “I’m sorry.”
“You’re sorry? The hell for?” He smiles, gazing at me curiously.
I reach out, placing my hand on his thigh, needing to touch him for some reason. It’s like my head is fighting with my heart, and this time, my heart wins.
“That sounds sad is all. You were so popular. Had so many friends back then. It’s crazy to think you were really lonely.”