Page 11 of Temporarily in Love

“Yes,” I muttered.

“Then maybe you should do something about it now that you’re home.”

That didn’t even make sense. I was only home to make sure the bar would be okay. I wasn’t going to stay in Drakesville.

Chapter Four

DECLAN

Why was Lila Sullivan in my freaking brewery? And why did seeing her make me act like a petulant child? That wasn’t like me. I knew I should go out and apologize. She broke up with me in high school; I should be over it. But I wasn’t.

Before I could go back out to the floor with my tail between my legs, Gemma burst into the office.

She put her hands on her hips and gave me an annoyed look.

“What?” I growled and took my glasses off to rub the bridge of my nose.

“You’re a fucking asshole, is what.”

I groaned and put my glasses back on. “Gemma, not now.”

“Why don’t you tell her you still love her? You were practically eye-fucking!” she exclaimed.

I sighed. Of course, Gemma wouldn’t leave it alone.

When she and Felix were broken up, Kelly Sullivan called me because Gemma was way too drunk at the bar. I hadn’t exactly wanted to go there, but Gemma was making a scene. I took her to my apartment to sleep it off, and she prodded me about why I didn’t like to go to Sullivan’s. I let it slip that I still had feelings for my high school girlfriend. Now I regretted it because Gemma was getting that wild look in her eye like she was up to something.

“Gemma,” I warned.

“Dude! Everyone can tell you still have feelings for each other. You didn’t see how she looked at you when she saw you with Norah.”

I put my glasses on and arched an eyebrow at her. “How did she look at me?”

“Like her ovaries melted,” Gemma said with a sly grin.

I shook my head. “That’s definitely not true. I should apologize, though, right?”

She shook her head and took her seat at the desk on the other side of the room. “You missed your chance. They already left.”

“Thanks for helping them,” I muttered and turned back to my computer.

“Mmmhmm,” Gemma said as she buried herself in her work.

Gemma and I worked in silence for a little while. I was glad she finally agreed to take the marketing director job because she was really good at it. But since it was Gemma, she had to be a pain in the ass and refuse to take it to the point I forced her to go on vacation to think about it. Then she quit like a numbskull. I was so glad when she got back together with Felix and came back. I couldn’t do a lot of stuff without her.

“Why did you ask me to help them if you hate Lila so much?” she asked.

I sighed. “I don’t hate her.”

“Sounded like it earlier.”

“Seeing her opened up old shit I don’t want to talk about. Okay, Gem?”

“Geez, you’re wound so tight. You probably need to get laid to release that tension.”

She was probably right, but I didn’t want anyone in my bed right now.

I didn’t bother to answer her. Instead, I finished working on the new HR training I wanted all the employees to complete. And the survey about the work environment.