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My hand is shaking.
My entire body is on vibrate.
This man is so shameless it’s actually scary. That goes double for how relentless he is when he lies.
Worse, I can’t just tell Nana the truth.
Not when she keeps looking at us likethat.
“I’ve got a long night coming up. You know how the market gets third quarter,” he says, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and giving me another hug that feels too real. As if one wasn’t bad enough. “Sorry to interrupt, but it was great to meet you, Nana Winkley.”
“Call me Jo!” Nana says like the unwitting traitor she is. “Oh, don’t send him home empty-handed, Junie. Do you want something for the road, Dexter? She’s just boxing up today’s leftovers.”
My heart dives.
“Nana—”
“Now, you simply can’t send your boyfriend back to work hungry.” Without another word, she opens the bakery case and pulls out a couple muffins, a marshmallow brownie, and an apple turnover. “Will this be enough?”
My brain starts working again.
Finally, a chance for revenge.
Not much, but a girl’s got to work with what she’s got.
“Take more!” I urge sweetly, grabbing blindly for more leftover stuff in the display cases. It normally goes to a local homeless shelter at the end of the day, but how can I miss a chance to make him pay?
“The marshmallow brownies are fire today. Why don’t you have one now,sugar?” I snap, loving how startled he looks.
Something flickers in those deep blue eyes, but before I can revel in my win, he grabs a turnover and wolfs it down in three hulking bites.
Damn.
If eating something he hates to deceive a sweet old lady was a competition, he’d take first prize. For now, he’s winning plenty of new reasons to hate his guts.
“Thanks, ladies,” he says, accepting the box and keeping it at a distance like it’s full of uranium before he gives me a quick wave. “See you later, Junie.”
Nana waves him out of the store, practically jumping up and down, as I sink into a chair.
Well, crap.
I know exactly what’s coming next.
“So,” Nana says, drawing the word out and sitting opposite me. “Tell me all about him right this instant.Dexter.” She says his name like he’s some sort of prize.
If she only knew…
With my face half-covered with my hands, I say, “There’s nothing to tell, Nana. You met him.”
Her face pulls into a frown.
“Juniper Winkley, don’t youdarelie to me. Did you get a look at him? He said you were dating for months and this is the first time I’ve seen hide or hair of him!”
“Eh, he exaggerates,” I say like it’ll save me. But I’m telling her the truth when I’d rather chew raw cactus, thorns and all, than go on a single date with Dexter Rory. “He’s just persistent.”
“That means he worships you! Oh, Junie…”
Actually, Nana, I’m pretty sure the only thing he worships are dollar signs, but sure. It’smehe wants so his greedy ass can hoard more money.
