Uh.
Say…
What?
My mouth had dropped open, I just couldn’t close it.
He looked down at me, and when he did, he appeared uncomfortable, even awkward, it was insanely adorable, then he looked back at Nikki and when he spoke again his voice was gentle.
“I’m sorry. When we talked about that when we were together, marriage, kids, I’m seein’ now, they were just the logical next steps. You’re a good woman, we had good times, a lot of them, and we just had a lot of time in. It was what we were supposed to do. I got caught up in that. Don’t get me wrong, you meant somethin’ to me, Nik. You meant a lot. Not havin’ you hurt like fuck, you meant that much. I just didn’t get what I was supposed to feel until I saw Evie with an armful of meat.”
Many women would prefer this epiphany to happen when the sun was shining on her face or the wind was blowing through her hair.
But I’d totally take it happening for Mag when I was carrying an armful of meat.
He looked down at me again, still awkward, still adorable, and muttered, “Too soon, I know, it just had to be said.”
“Not too soon,” I whispered, pressing close to him.
His eyes moved over my face, the awkwardness faded, and his lips hitched.
“So,” Nikki broke into our moment, “I see you finally let it overpower you.”
We both looked to her, and she, regrettably, continued speaking.
“I didn’t want to say anything,” she said to Mag, not nicely, which meant she hadn’t actually misinterpreted the things with her next words she wanted us to think she’d fake-misinterpreted. And she proved this when she said to me, “I thought it was rude. But I obviously don’t have to tell you, what with your face like that, his temper is off the charts.”
She…
Did not.
“Evie,” Mag called.
She…
Really…
Did not.
Mag’s hold on me got tighter.
“Evie,” he repeated.
“Are you insinuating that Danny did this to me?” I asked quietly.
“Evie,” Mag said again.
“In an effort to drive a wedge between us, are you honestly implying Danny would take his hands to me?” I kept at her.
“Baby,” Mag muttered.
But Nikki just ticked her head to the side in one of those bitch moves that always happened prior to what was about to happen, happened.
And then that happened.
I tore from Mag’s hold and went after her, nails bared.
There wasn’t a lot of space between me and my target, and she was stunned immobile at my actions, so my chances at taking her down were significantly increased, but I forgot how fast Mag moved.
Thus, I didn’t manage to get at her because Mag’s arm hooked around my belly and he dragged me back three steps, those being Mag’s steps, which were about five of mine.
Unable to instigate a smackdown catfight, I bit at her, “You should be ashamed.”
“I’m feeling a lot right now, but shame isn’t part of that,” she retorted.
“This doesn’t surprise me because, from the minute you pushed in here when Danny didn’t want you to, to now, you’ve displayed nothing but spoiled, selfish tendencies. Then again, you dumping him because he wouldn’t come to heel, I should have already known that.”
“He’s got issues,” she hissed. “I was trying to help him with his issues.”
“It work for you, helping him with those by breaking his heart?” I returned.
Her torso shot straight.
“Evie,” Mag said in my ear. “Stand down, baby.”
“So…what? You two have been together how long? Days? Weeks? And you’ve got all the answers?” she asked me.
“Nope.” I shook my head. “I have none. Zero. Zip. Though I know one of them is not walking away.”
Her head jerked like I’d slapped her.
I didn’t care.
Because she wasn’t kind of a bitch.
She was a bitch.
“And another,” I carried on, “is not trying to force him to be someone he’s not.”
“Evie, baby, honey, stand down,” Mag urged in my ear.
He’d delivered his double-barreled endearment, so although it was hard, I clamped my mouth shut.
“Nik—” he began, but she lifted a hand, shaking her head.
“Yeah. Yes. I get it, Mag. I got it the minute I heard her call you Danny.”
And without another word, she turned to the door, opened it, and disappeared behind it.
We both stood, Mag’s arm still around me, presumably staring at the door (it was presumably only on Mag’s part because I couldn’t see him, I was staring at the door) and we did this for a long time.
Then the realization dawned on me that for the first time in my life I’d gone on physical attack against another human being, which was mortifying.
It was also why I pulled from his arm, took several steps away, turning to face him, but staring at his feet while I tucked hair behind my ear and babbled.
“Well, that was an interesting afternoon’s diversion. But I think now I’m willing to go to the grocery store because we definitely need more cinnamon marshmallow clusters after that.”