Page 98 of People Like Us

“In a bit?” he questioned, as I moved to exit the car.

“I’m not done talking about this.” I said flatly. He didn’t answer right away, and I asked, “Do you have somewhere else to be?”

“Yeah, I’ve got a roster of Victoria’s Secret models dying to go out with me. I should probably call one of them back.”

I rolled my eyes. “See you in a bit.”

“See you in a bit,” he echoed as I shut the door.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Ifollowed August up the stairs to his room silently. He toed off his shoes, then bent to slide mine off too. Without touching me again, he leaned against the back of the couch and glanced down at the floor.

I took my bag off, setting it next to his gently, then went to his bathroom to pull the hand towel from its hook on the wall. I opened his mini fridge next, and poured the small amount of ice in the tray into the towel, bundling it up in my palms.

“Come sit,” I said as I moved around the sofa to perch on the edge of the coffee table.

August moved reluctantly, like he’d rather be arguing with me than doing as I said, but eventually, he sat in front of me, looking anywhere but at me. I slid closer, spreading my legs so his knees fit between mine as I leaned in to press the cold towel against his cheek bone. He flinched at first, then seemed to settle into it.

His long fingers came up to wrap around mine, fingertips tracing the ring on my hand, as he said, “I can do it.”

“Then you should’ve done it this morning,” I whispered, not moving my hand out from under his. “It’s going to look worse tomorrow.”

He grimaced. “Okay, Mom.”

I felt my brows pinch and I swallowed my natural instinct to bite back. Instead I used my other hand to gently sweep the curls away from his face. “Will you please look at me?”

It took a moment, but eventually his green eyes lifted to meet mine through long lashes. His gaze was both sharp, and pleading.

“Why are you being short with me right now?” I asked, indignant.

“Because I don’t like how quickly you forgave me,” he huffed.

“Do you not think you’ve been punished enough?” I said, gesturing to the cut on his cheekbone.

“You don’t have to forgive me because your pet quarterback hit me,” he said dryly.

“I should probably tell you he’s a tight end, not a quarterback.”

He let out a humorless laugh. “Great.”

“You don’t get to decide how I feel, August.” When he didn’t respond I added, “I’m sorry that Andy acted like such an ass.”

A million emotions that I couldn’t decipher passed over August’s features before he said, “If you know he’s an ass, then why are you dating him?” He sounded exhausted, as if it was a conversation he’d already had in his head a thousand times.

My gaze dropped to the ice pack, where his fingers still splayed over mine. The sensation of his warm skin and the cold from the ice sent electricity up my arm, into a much deeper part of me. I hadn’t realized I was biting my lip till his other hand came up to press his thumb against the tortured flesh, forcing me to stop. My mouth popped open, and his finger lingered there for just a moment before dropping completely.

“Tell me,” his voice came out a low plea. “Tell me what a guy like him does to deserve you.”

I fight the burning on my lash line as I’m locked in his gaze again. “I can’t,” I whisper.

“Then why—”

“We’re not,” I cut him off. “I mean, we’re not together anymore.”

The ice crunched beneath the towel as his grip on my hand tightened. “When?” he asked, but the words came out barely audible.

“Yesterday. After the morning service,” I said with a soft smile.