Read Online Love in London (Restless Hearts) by Hunter J. Keane - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Hunter J. Keane
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get back into town?” It occurred to me that I should probably make introductions, but I couldn’t convince my brain to think clearly.
“Last night.” Dexter studied me as if he expected me to have grown a second head in the past week. “It’s a shame what happened to your phone.”
Kelly chose to introduce herself by interjecting. “What happened to your phone?”
“Nothing,” I snapped.
“Oh. So there must be some other reason why you haven’t returned my calls.” Dexter glared at me, but his lips hinted at a smile.
“You are so busted,” Kelly sang.
“I’ve been busy,” I said lamely. “Did you need something?”
Dexter leaned past me and picked up my beer. “Let’s talk in private.”
I had no choice but to follow him to the corner of the bar. He handed me the beer and ordered one for himself.
“What’s going on, Taylor?” he asked grimly. “I’m not very good at relationships, but even I can tell that you’re mad at me for some reason.”
“I’m not mad at you,” I said. “I’m mad at myself.”
He gave me an annoyed look. “Are you trying to be as unhelpful and confusing as possible? Because if you are, you should know you’ve succeeded.”
“Dexter. I know you went to see Laurel.” No reason to dance around the truth. If I was going to get him going on his way, I needed to shoot straight. “I’m not sure why you didn’t just tell me the truth. Were you playing some kind of game? Seeing if you could get the naïve college girl to trust you?”
“What?” He flinched noticeably. “What are you talking about?”
“You’re not really going to deny that you went over to Laurel’s that night, are you? The evidence is all over the internet.”
Dexter looked like he didn’t know what to say. “I’m not going to lie to you. I went to Laurel’s that night. But it’s not what you think.”
“You didn’t end our date early so that you could go be with her?” My question was sharp enough to cut through glass.
“She wasn’t the only reason I ended our date early.”
“Was that work story even real or did you lie about that, too?” I was mad at myself for how much the whole thing still bothered me. I was supposed to be over Dexter.
He shook his head slowly. “It doesn’t even matter what I say right now. You’ve already made up your mind about me.”
“Are you saying there’s a good explanation for what happened?” I challenged.
“Nope, I’m not saying that.” He slammed down his empty beer mug. “If you decide to change your mind about me, you know how to find me.”
I was too shocked to say anything as he walked away. Stupidly, I had expected him to stay and… what? Beg? Apologize? Grovel? Profess his eternal love for me?
That’s when I realized that I really was a naïve college girl. I expected Dexter to fight for me when I wouldn’t even give him a chance to explain. At least my streak of pushing people away before they had a chance to get close was still going strong.
The next day was Saturday and Cessy took me out for a traditional English breakfast followed by a girl’s day. She did her best to take my mind off everything, but watching her shop for shoes for three hours wasn’t exactly a pleasant distraction. I was slightly more excited when she took me to her favorite place for afternoon tea.
“I’m a big fan of tiny sandwiches,” I said with a mouth full of cucumber.
“Who needs a man when you have finger sandwiches and tea?”
We clinked our tea cups together. “I hereby declare a break from all things male.”
“That seems a tad extreme.” Cessy eyed me skeptically.
“I’m serious, Cess. I came to London to learn more about my family, not to make time with a rich wanker.”
“Make time?” She laughed. “You Americans speak funny.”
“It’s something my grandmother used to say.” Before I could launch further into my new vendetta, a familiar face caught my eye. “Wait. Is that…”
Cessy’s head swiveled
“Last night.” Dexter studied me as if he expected me to have grown a second head in the past week. “It’s a shame what happened to your phone.”
Kelly chose to introduce herself by interjecting. “What happened to your phone?”
“Nothing,” I snapped.
“Oh. So there must be some other reason why you haven’t returned my calls.” Dexter glared at me, but his lips hinted at a smile.
“You are so busted,” Kelly sang.
“I’ve been busy,” I said lamely. “Did you need something?”
Dexter leaned past me and picked up my beer. “Let’s talk in private.”
I had no choice but to follow him to the corner of the bar. He handed me the beer and ordered one for himself.
“What’s going on, Taylor?” he asked grimly. “I’m not very good at relationships, but even I can tell that you’re mad at me for some reason.”
“I’m not mad at you,” I said. “I’m mad at myself.”
He gave me an annoyed look. “Are you trying to be as unhelpful and confusing as possible? Because if you are, you should know you’ve succeeded.”
“Dexter. I know you went to see Laurel.” No reason to dance around the truth. If I was going to get him going on his way, I needed to shoot straight. “I’m not sure why you didn’t just tell me the truth. Were you playing some kind of game? Seeing if you could get the naïve college girl to trust you?”
“What?” He flinched noticeably. “What are you talking about?”
“You’re not really going to deny that you went over to Laurel’s that night, are you? The evidence is all over the internet.”
Dexter looked like he didn’t know what to say. “I’m not going to lie to you. I went to Laurel’s that night. But it’s not what you think.”
“You didn’t end our date early so that you could go be with her?” My question was sharp enough to cut through glass.
“She wasn’t the only reason I ended our date early.”
“Was that work story even real or did you lie about that, too?” I was mad at myself for how much the whole thing still bothered me. I was supposed to be over Dexter.
He shook his head slowly. “It doesn’t even matter what I say right now. You’ve already made up your mind about me.”
“Are you saying there’s a good explanation for what happened?” I challenged.
“Nope, I’m not saying that.” He slammed down his empty beer mug. “If you decide to change your mind about me, you know how to find me.”
I was too shocked to say anything as he walked away. Stupidly, I had expected him to stay and… what? Beg? Apologize? Grovel? Profess his eternal love for me?
That’s when I realized that I really was a naïve college girl. I expected Dexter to fight for me when I wouldn’t even give him a chance to explain. At least my streak of pushing people away before they had a chance to get close was still going strong.
The next day was Saturday and Cessy took me out for a traditional English breakfast followed by a girl’s day. She did her best to take my mind off everything, but watching her shop for shoes for three hours wasn’t exactly a pleasant distraction. I was slightly more excited when she took me to her favorite place for afternoon tea.
“I’m a big fan of tiny sandwiches,” I said with a mouth full of cucumber.
“Who needs a man when you have finger sandwiches and tea?”
We clinked our tea cups together. “I hereby declare a break from all things male.”
“That seems a tad extreme.” Cessy eyed me skeptically.
“I’m serious, Cess. I came to London to learn more about my family, not to make time with a rich wanker.”
“Make time?” She laughed. “You Americans speak funny.”
“It’s something my grandmother used to say.” Before I could launch further into my new vendetta, a familiar face caught my eye. “Wait. Is that…”
Cessy’s head swiveled
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