Flipping His Script: A Loathing to Love Romance

by Sabrina Stark

  Oh sure, it was a great act – the not-so-secret embraces and long, lingering kisses that made me weak in the knees. Of course, the tabloids were eating it up. I knew this, because I'd seen the coverage with my own eyes.

  But in private, we were strictly hands-off, and it was starting to make me a little crazy. Every once in a while, I'd almost forget that we were just pretending. At these times, I'd come dangerously close to falling into his arms or snuggling up next to him on the couch, just like we were a real couple.

  And then, there were the deepest, darkest parts of the night. Behind my bedroom door – now fully repaired – I'd stay awake wondering what would happen if I wandered down the hall and into Flynn's bed.

  But I never did, well, except in my dreams, but that hardly counted.

  Still, with every passing day, I was falling harder under his spell. Today had been no exception. We'd just finished having coffee at my favorite shop, where we'd held hands across the table and laughed like total idiots over each other's list of possible waffle ingredients.

  None of them were appetizing, but I was having the time of my life.

  After leaving the coffee shop, we'd been strolling downtown when he'd asked me to wait while he ran a quick errand. I didn't know where he was going, and he'd refused to say, which only made me more curious.

  I was standing exactly where he'd left me when I heard a familiar female voice say, "Don't tell me he dumped you already?"

  I whirled to look. Standing on the nearby sidewalk was Mackenzie of all people. She was holding several shopping bags and smiling like she'd caught me starring in a donkey show.

  I almost groaned at the sight of her. Until now, today had been one of the sweetest days ever, and I dreaded the thought of Mackenzie turning it sour. Without bothering to reply, I stepped aside, hoping she'd just keep on going.

  But of course, she didn't.

  Instead, she stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and gave me a quick once-over before saying, "Well, at least you got some decent clothes out of the deal."

  Heat rushed to my face. She was right of course, but not in the way she thought. Yes, Flynn had purchased the clothes that I was wearing, but he'd said nothing about letting me keep them.

  I replied, "Clothes aren't everything, you know."

  She gave me a dubious look. "If you say so." And then, she smirked. "So did he?"

  "Did he what?"

  "Dump you."

  I stiffened. No. Because we're not really together.

  I hadn't seen her since that incident at the steak house, when she'd kept insisting that Flynn and I couldn't truly be a couple.

  Now, she merely thought he'd dumped me.

  Was that progress?

  I had no idea.

  I gave her an annoyed look. "Not that it's any of your business, but no. He didn't 'dump' me."

  "Suuuuure, I believe you," she said in a tone that suggested otherwise. She made an obvious point to look around. "So where is he?"

  I gave a silent shrug that told her exactly nothing.

  She was still smirking. "So you don't know?"

  I felt my fingers clench. It was long past time to turn the tables.

  I gave her a smirk of my own. "What about Preston?"

  "What about him?"

  "Where is he?"

  "Working," she said. "He is a banker, you know."

  I shrugged. "If you say so."

  She frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

  "I'm just saying, I've never actually seen him at a bank."

  "That's because he's in finance." She looked heavenward. "He's not like a teller at a credit union." She said "teller" like it involved scooping up poop of the human variety.

  I gave another shrug. "Suuuure, I believe you."

  Her gaze narrowed. "I know what you're doing."

  "What?" I forced a laugh. "Asking questions?"

  "No. You're trying to one-up me."

  She was right. I was. After all, she wasn't the only one who could be a rude, intrusive, pain-in-the-ass.

  From the look on her face, she wasn't enjoying the taste of her own medicine.

  Good.

  Time for another dose.

  I crossed my arms. "And how do I know you're really engaged?"

  With a loud sigh, she dropped her shopping bags and lifted her left hand. She gave her fingers a little flutter. Right on cue, her diamond engagement ring – which I had to admit, was pretty darn impressive – sparkled in the afternoon sun.

  She said, "How's that for proof?" When I said nothing in reply, her tone grew snippy. "And thanks, by the way, for not noticing it at dinner."

  She was wrong. I'd noticed the ring. It was, after all, fairly hard to miss. But things had gone south so quickly that the only thing I'd wanted to tell her was, "Get your face out of Flynn's crotch."

  Now, I leaned forward and squinted at the ring. "Are you sure that's real?"

  She gave a little gasp. "What?"

  "I'm just saying, you never know."

  She dropped her hand. "How dare you!"

  I almost laughed and not because her objection sounded so prissy. Ever since my life had gone to crap, I'd seen Mackenzie only a handful of times. Every single time she'd "dared" quite a bit, and not in a nice way.

  I tried for another smirk. "Sorry, I was just asking."

  She was glaring now. "And what are you smiling at?"

  "Me?" I said. "Nothing."

  In high school, almost no one had liked Mackenzie. At the time, I hadn't fully realized why. But now I knew all too well. She was the kind of person who kissed their way upward and crapped on everyone below.

  Now I couldn't help but wonder how she'd act in the future if my fortunes ever did improve – and not just temporarily. No doubt, she'd pucker up and pretend to be my friend all over again.

  I almost rolled my eyes. Good luck with that.

  Mackenzie was no friend of mine, and probably never was. But I'd dealt with that hurt a long time ago, which meant that I was done letting her get under my skin.

  Or so I thought.

  With a little huff, she said, "You know what? Forget it. Smile all you want. But when he dumps you – which you know he will – guess where you'll be." She jerked her chin upward. "Back at the Waffle House. And then we'll see who's laughing."

  Her words grated, but not for the reasons she thought. Probably, Mackenzie had never worked a day in her life.

  I told her, "There's no shame in working a regular job."

  She gave a snort of derision. "You're only saying that because you don't anymore."

  She was wrong. I'd never thought that, not even when Gordon's ill-gotten gains had been flowing freely into our household. My real dad had been an auto mechanic. From the little I recalled, he was a million times the man that Gordon ever was, menial job or not.

  I crossed my arms. "You couldn't be more wrong if you tried. And besides, I'm only on a leave of absence."

  "What?"

  "Yeah. I'll be back at the waffle house in just a few weeks." As I said it, something in my heart twisted. Unfortunately, this had nothing to do with the job and everything to do with Flynn.

  Soon, I'd be out of his life entirely, and he'd be out of mine. For some stupid reason, the thought didn't make me nearly as happy as it should've.

  In fact, it didn't make me happy at all.

  "Good," Mackenzie said. "I look forward to you waiting on me."

  My stomach knotted at the thought. Knowing Mackenzie, she wasn't bluffing. This shouldn't have been a big deal. After all, I waited on people I knew all the time, even people from high school.

  Usually, they were friendly enough. But Mackenzie? She'd come in, run me ragged, and laugh when I didn't meet her unrealistic expectations.

  Still, I forced a smile. "Good. And I look forward to peeing in your coffee."

  "Hah!" she said. "I don't drink coffee."

  Damn it.

  Just like Flynn.

  Why did everything come back t
o him?

  It was so maddening, especially now when I was trying to keep my wits about me.

  Stupidly, I replied, "Well…You'll be drinking something."

  From the look on Mackenzie's face, she was entirely unconcerned. I could think of only two reasons for this. Either she knew that I'd never do such a thing, or she didn't plan on consuming anything I served.

  As if to prove my theory correct, she said, "Oh, I don't need to drink anything to enjoy the show."

  The show.

  That was me.

  In the back of my mind, I couldn’t help but wonder if, in this little scenario of hers, she'd be bringing Preston the Banker. Did he drink coffee?

  Did it matter?

  No.

  In fact, none of this did.

  With an effort, I stiffened my spine and said, "Fine. Come in all you want. You'll be a customer just like anyone else."

  "Yes. And you'll be my waitress." With a sly smile, she added, "Just think of all the fun we'll have."

  I was still searching for the perfect comeback when from somewhere behind me a familiar male voice said, "No. You won't. Because she's not going back."

  Shit.

  It was Flynn. And whether he realized it or not, he'd just said the worst thing possible.

  Chapter 64

  Flynn

  I'd just rounded the corner, and I wasn't happy with what I'd overheard on the way. I was even less happy to see Anna flinch at the sound of my voice.

  She didn't turn to look. Smart move. Turning your back on an enemy was never a good idea. And regardless of their friendly history, Mackenzie was an enemy.

  I strode forward to drape an arm over Anna's shoulders. When she shivered against me, I pulled her close and eyed the skank who'd been giving Anna such a hard time.

  I didn’t bother with a smile. "What do you want?"

  She blinked. "Oh, hi. I was wondering where you were." With a flustered smile, she said, "So, how's it going?"

  I didn't smile back. "What's your name again?"

  Her smile faded. "Mackenzie. You remember. From the steak house?"

  Like I'd forget. By local standards, that dinner was a freak-show that would stick with me for a while. "I remember. And you wanna know why?"

  "Why?"

  "Because your fiancé offered me a turn."

  She snuck a quick glance at Anna before asking in a show of innocence. "A turn? What do you mean?"

  She knew damn well what I meant. But hey, if she wanted me to say it… "I mean, he offered to let me fuck you."

  It wasn't the kind of thing I'd normally say. But hell if I'd waste any politeness on someone who'd been giving Anna grief.

  Against my side, Anna tensed like this was news to her. Or maybe she didn’t like my language. Either way, I'd deal with the fallout later.

  Right now, I had a message for the chick who'd once been Anna's friend. And that message was "Fuck off and leave Anna alone."

  I could say it outright, or I could let Mackenzie figure it out for herself. If I was lucky, she already had.

  After a long pause, she sidled forward and said in a husky voice, "Oh, really? What did you tell him?"

  I stared down at her. Fuck.

  Talk about messed up.

  As far as her question, I couldn’t remember my exact words, but I knew the gist of what I'd told the guy. I gave her a dismissive look. "I said I don't share."

  Mackenzie glanced at Anna before asking, "Do you mean when you're seeing someone or—"

  "Or nothing." I flicked my head toward the opposite side of the street. "So take what you're selling someplace else."

  Her eyebrows furrowed. "I'm not 'selling' anything."

  She was wrong. She was selling it all right. Maybe not to me. But to that banker of hers, who'd be smart to shop around before putting any kind of ring on it.

  Too late for that.

  Then again, they weren't married yet.

  I replied, "If you say so."

  Mackenzie gave a practiced toss of her hair. "You know, I don't appreciate this."

  "And you'll appreciate it even less if you keep bothering Anna."

  "I wasn't 'bothering' her," Mackenzie said. "We were just catching up. Jeez. You act like I'm stalking her or something." She looked to Anna and said, "Go on. Tell him."

  I cut her off. "She doesn't have to tell me. I heard it myself."

  Mackenzie's face reddened. "What? That waffle thing?"

  If she meant her threat to give Anna a hard time at the waffle place, that's exactly what I'd overheard. And I didn't like it.

  "Yeah," I said. "That. And in case it wasn't clear, Anna's not going back. So like I said, take it someplace else."

  Abruptly, Anna yanked herself from my side, giving me my first good look at her face. Her eyes were glistening, and her skin was flushed. With a hard scoff, she turned and started walking away, leaving me and Mackenzie behind.

  That was fine by me. A moment alone with Mackenzie was just the ticket. I leaned closer to her and said, "I mean it. If you ever bother Anna again, you'll live to regret it."

  Mackenzie gasped like I'd just slapped her senseless. The gasp was a waste. I'd never hit her or pay anyone else to. But there were other ways of getting revenge, and I wasn't above using them.

  In fact, you might say I had experience with this sort of thing.

  With a little step backward, Mackenzie said, "Oh, so now you're threatening me?"

  "Take it how you want," I said. "But you'd be smart to leave her alone." And with that, I turned to look for Anna.

  I spotted her a block away, walking fast with her head down. It took me just a few moments to catch up. But when I did, it was easy to see that something was definitely off.

  Chapter 65

  Anna

  From behind me, Flynn's said, "Anna, you all right?"

  I was stalking down the sidewalk and had no intention of stopping. I didn't bother to turn around as I said, "I'm fine." It was an obvious lie, but what did it matter?

  Maybe I should've been glad that he'd put on such a great show for Mackenzie, but all I felt was despair. In just a few weeks, our arrangement would end, leaving me at Mackenzie's mercy all over again.

  Okay, maybe I didn't have to be at her mercy, but I'd definitely be eating a lot of crap because of Flynn's stupid claim. "She's not going back."

  Yes, it was a lovely line to put Mackenzie in her place. But long-term? It would only mean more humiliation later on. I could practically hear Mackenzie now, sneering. "I thought you weren't coming back."

  Great. Something to look forward to.

  When I kept on walking, Flynn fell in beside me, easily keeping up with my rapid pace. In my peripheral vision, I could see him glancing in my direction like he didn't get what was going on.

  Or who knows, maybe he was waiting for me to thank him for the rescue. But if that's what he was waiting for, he'd be waiting a long time.

  Whether his concern had been genuine or not, that little act of his had just doomed me to a boat-load of grief when Flynn and I were done.

  I didn't even know why I was taking this so hard. I mean, worse things had happened to me over the years. And I'd survived those mostly okay.

  This wasn't a big deal. Really, it wasn't.

  Still, my eyes glistened and my thoughts churned as I strode blindly forward. I didn't know exactly where I was going, but I did know that I wasn't planning to stop any time soon.

  Abruptly, a hard yank on my elbow jerked me backward. When I whirled to look, Flynn was staring down at me with a frown as ominous as I'd ever seen it.

  What the hell?

  I gave my elbow a useless yank. "Just leave me alone, all right?"

  He was still gripping my elbow. It was too tight and too hard. I gave another yank, even as his voice sliced out between us. "Anna."

  I practically yelled, "What?"

  "You okay?"

  I yanked again, not that it did a lick of good. "No. I'm not okay." Through gritted teet
h, I said, "Now let me go."

  His frown deepened. "No."

  I felt like screaming. "Why not?"

  His gaze flicked to the nearby intersection, where cars and trucks rumbled along the city street. He leaned closer and said in a low voice, "Because you almost got hit."

  I froze. And then, with wary eyes, I looked where he'd indicated. Sure enough, I'd come dangerously close to stepping out into traffic.

  Shit.

  Just like so many other things, it wasn't the kind of thing I normally did. Cripes, as a general rule, I didn't even use my cell phone while walking, lest I become texting roadkill.

  When I looked back to Flynn, he was eying me with obvious concern.

  But that wasn't the only thing that made me want to crawl into hole and hide. It was the fact that we'd attracted a small crowd who were staring at us like we'd just put on the jolliest show, ever.

  But could I blame them? I mean, wasn't it perfectly normal to stare at a crazy person?

  I heard myself say, "I want to go home."

  Chapter 66

  Anna

  I hadn't said which home I meant. And Flynn hadn't asked.

  Instead, he'd silently guided me back to his car, helped me into the passenger's seat, and then claimed his usual spot behind the wheel.

  Now, from the looks of it, we were heading back to his place, not to the apartment that I shared with my mom and Becka.

  Was I relieved?

  Maybe.

  I was in no mood to deal with my mom. Unfortunately, I was also in no mood to deal with Flynn. I wasn't even sure what I was feeling – other than embarrassment tinged with shame, and yes, lingering anger from our encounter with Mackenzie.

  But my other feelings? Especially the ones related to Flynn? They remained a swirling mass of darkness that washed over me like a giant sewage leak after a storm.

  Already, I was drowning in it.

  I stared out the window, watching the landscape pass in a blur. Vaguely, I wondered just how fast we were going. And yet, I wasn't about to check the speedometer, because that would involve looking in his direction. And I'd been avoiding that like the plague this day had become.

  Damn it.

  From the moment I'd spotted Mackenzie, I should've realized it was the beginning of a steep downward trend – a plummet back to Earth after getting way too close to heaven.