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Shira looked over her shoulder, worried. Saoirse sucked in air through her teeth.
“That doofus is the guy who—” Saoirse cut herself off when Elise nodded.
“He bullied you?” I asked.
“He was cruel to everyone who wasn’t part of his group. I don’t even blame Miles for being his friend. If you weren’t, you were a target, and my ass made a sizable target.” Elise shook her head. “I’m over high school, but damn, seeing that man brings me back.”
I touched her hand lightly. “People were cruel little shits to me, so I get it. It shapes who you are. I just…I guess I knew Nick and Miles were friends, and I’m aware Miles had been a bully in his own right, but I didn’t suspect Nick…I didn’t know…”
“When my mom died, everyone else backed off. Especially Miles,” Elise explained. “But Nick took them going easy as his signal to dig deeper. He started a rumor that my mother had killed herself to get away from me. For a year, he whispered, ‘mother killer,’ every time he passed me in the hall. He was an absolute demon.”
That was all I needed to hear. Pushing back from the table, I told them I would take care of this, and headed Nick off at the pass. His eyes lit up when I grabbed his shirt sleeve.
“Hey, I was just coming to say hello to your friends.” He chuckled as I yanked him in the opposite direction. “If you need to talk in private, I’m game for that too.”
If I said something now, I’d end up screaming in his face, and I had enough respect for the customers and my coworkers not to ruin their night. Biting my tongue, I dragged him with me to the back room. Once the door closed behind him, I spun around to face him head on.
“You know, Nick, it’s interesting how you warned me away from Miles Aldrich—”
He groaned. “Wait. You’re not still hanging around him, are you? If you are, I’m going to have to talk to Beau about this. He won’t approve.”
“Isn’t Miles your friend, Nick?”
“He’s an acquaintance more than anything.” He folded his arms over his chest. “Why are we talking about him anyway?”
“Because one of my friends is his sister-in-law. Her last name was Levy back in high school. Remember her?”
If I hadn’t watched his face pale, I might have believed his “aw shucks” gestures: scratching his head, shrugging his shoulders, a lopsided smile.
“High school was a long time ago,” he stated.
“But you remembered what Miles had been up to without any trouble.”
“Why are we talking about Miles?” He snatched my arm and pulled me toward him. “Why are you hanging out with his sister-in-law?”
“I told you, Elise is my friend, you jackass.” I yanked my arm free from his light grasp. “Are you actually going to pretend you don't remember what you did to her?”
He tried the innocent shrug again. “Everyone did shit they regret when they were young. If you want me to apologize to her right now, I will.”
“What would you apologize to her for? Specifically?”
“Uh…” He rubbed his jaw until it was red. “I probably shouldn’t have said shit about her being an orphan.”
My stomach sank to the floor. Nick was just another disappointing man. Fortunately, I’d never been particularly attached to him, but he’d been on the periphery of my life since I was a kid. It was painful to realize he wasn’t who I thought he was.
“So, you do remember her and were playing dumb.” I put my hands on my hips. “Warning me away from Miles when you were ten times worse is rich.”
His eyes narrowed. “You keep bringing him up. Don’t tell me you’re fucking him.”
“None of your business.”
“Goddammit, Daisy.” He shoved his fingers into his hair. “You finally got rid of the asshole who rode your coattails all those years, and now you’re going after another one? What about dating someone who cares about you for you? Who knows you like no one else does?”
“Who I date is none of your business.”
“What if I want it to be?” He tried one of his trademark meaningful looks, all soft eyes and crinkled brow. It was too much. Way too much.
I barked a laugh. “No. Are you kidding? Absolutely not.”
