CHAPTER 36: Ellie
741 Words
CHAPTER 36: Ellie
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Ellie stared into the bag filled with junk food. This was the sweetest thing anyone had ever done for her.
“I didn’t buy it all for you.” Adrian reached in the bag and snatched a Coke. “This is mine.”
“Okay.” Laughter bubbled out of her. She couldn’t help it. Usually, he was suave and flirty. This prickly side of him was adorable. “There’s another Coke in here. Is that yours too?”
“Nah.” He stared straight ahead. “I didn’t know what kind of soda you liked.”
“Thank you.” She grabbed the bottle. “I like Coke.”
“Me too.” He finished half of his water and opened the soda.
“Just like coffee.”
“Yeah.” He frowned.
“That’s a bad thing?” She took a sip of her soda and pulled out the bag of Chex Mix.
“No. Just weird. Not the Coke thing. Lots of people like Coke but most people also like coffee.”
“No kidding. I used to feel strange telling people that I didn’t drink coffee but now, it doesn’t bother me.” She stared at the Chex Mix and then dropped it back into the bag.
“Wrong kind?”
“What?”
“The Chex Mix. I didn’t know what you liked so I guessed and grabbed the original and cheese flavored ones. Did I get it wrong?”
“No. I like both of those, but my mom will kill me if I show up late and not hungry.” Her stomach took that moment to grumble.
“I don’t think a few chips are going to fill you up.”
“Once I start eating those things I can’t stop.” She never bought them for that very reason. Her ass was wide enough as it was from sitting all day at work. She didn’t need to feed her butt’s urban sprawl.
“Open it. You can share with me.” He tossed his bag of chips back in the big bag.
“Do you like Chex Mix?”
“Never had it.”
He was so sweet. Her phone beeped and she glanced at it. Alison again. The woman was driving her crazy. “Eat the chips you like. I’m fine.”
“Do you have to argue with me about everything? Just open the damn bag of Chex Mix.”
“Don’t yell at me.” So much for him being sweet.
“Then for once do what I ask you to do.”
“You didn’t ask. You ordered.” She had no idea why he was being such a jerk. Actually, she did. This was typical for guys like him—charming when they wanted something and moody, super assholes when things didn’t go their way.
“I didn’t order you to open the Chex Mix.”
“You didn’t ask either.” This time her phone rang. She was going to kill Alison. She pressed a button sending her friend to voicemail. She grabbed the Chex Mix and opened it. “There. Happy now?”
“Hardly.” He gripped the steering wheel like it was the only thing keeping him from falling to his death or strangling her.
Her phone rang again.
“Don’t let me stop you from answering it.”
“I’m not.” That wasn’t completely true. Alison was going to drill her about last night and she didn’t want to talk about Marc in front of Adrian. She sent Alison to voicemail again. Her friend wasn’t going to be happy with her.
“Lying again.”
“I’m not lying.” Not exactly.
“Please. I saw you texting him earlier.”
“Him?” What was he talking about?
“Marc.”
“It’s not Marc.” Now, his grumpiness made sense.
“Right.”
“It’s not.”
“Stop f*****g lying. I’m not an idiot.” He sent her a disgusted look. “You women are so f*****g stupid. Putting up with s**t like that from a guy.”
“You women? Stupid?” She had no idea where to start being offended.
“Yeah. That bastard humiliated you last night.”
“You should thank him.”
“For what?” he almost shouted.
“Because...” She stopped herself. Saying she’d only slept with him because of her ex was true but it wasn’t very nice.
“Because he’s the reason you f****d me?” He snorted. “You can say it. It’s not like I didn’t know that.”
Her phone rang again. “Damn it.”
“Answer the f*****g phone or I’ll stop the car right here.”
“You wouldn’t.” They were in the middle of nowhere.
He slammed on the brakes, pulling the car to the side of the road as her phone continued to ring. “Answer it. Tell him to f**k off or tell him you love him. Right now, I don’t give two shits what you say, but you will answer that phone and you will stop hiding it from me.”
She glared at him. He was the stupidest, bossiest man she’d ever met. “You want the phone answered? You do it.” She shoved it in his face and waited. Both Adrian and Alison deserved this.
- Writer
