My Scumbag Ex's Best Friend

The Savior Strikes Again

Adelaide

Jacques is a pain, and the one thing I find the most inconvenient about him is how he never seems to catch the hint.

It's either that, or he just ignores it.

I don't know why he's still targeting me specifically when I've already told him that I don't want to talk to him and don't consider him a friend at all. He's such a fool. He talks and talks about all his adventures even though I definitely didn't ask, and I'm getting so sick and tired of him that I want to go home.

"What's the matter, Addy?" he says after a long stretch of silence. "Don't you wanna talk to me?"

I narrow my eyes at him. "No, Jacques! I don't! Why don't you just leave me alone, for crying out loud? Do you want me to make a scene, is that it?"

At this point, even Anice and Veronica have abandoned me. He's not interested in following them around, so they're mingling with other groups of people while I'm stuck with him. We're all adults, and I should be able to get rid of him successfully. After all, I don't expect anyone to do it for me, otherwise, it just looks bad.

But I don't know how to make Jacques understand that I despise him without making a huge ruckus. He's so insufferable.

"You can make a scene," he drawls, inching closer to me. "I like outspoken women."

"You like being humiliated—that's what you like!"

"People like all sorts of things. And what's the problem with that? I like you, Adelaide, and I think we have seriously unfinished business. Why don't you have your wedding ring? I mean, not having it one time is okay, but this is the second time. Are you having marital issues? If so, I can be your shoulder to cry on. I've said this to you before, haven't I?"

I groan and roll my eyes at him, then grab my purse from the bar. I've had enough. "If you want to keep making a fool out of yourself, Jacques, then go ahead. I won't keep entertaining you. You're so miserable that you don't have any friend to talk to—you have to sit here beside me and make a total fool of yourself."

Jacques tries to laugh off my words, but I can tell I've hurt him. Right now, I couldn't possibly care less. I can't stand him, and I'm sick of always being polite to people who don't deserve it.

I storm toward the stairs so I can use the bathroom on the first floor. I don't really have to use it, but I need to get away from Jacques.

Upstairs, it's very quiet. Everyone's sticking to the main area. I breathe a lot easier as I walk through the dimly lit corridor. I didn't know how much I needed this alone time until now.

Just as I reach the bathroom door—it has a sign next to it, that's how I find it—I hear rapidly approaching footsteps. I turn to look, but I barely have time to open the bathroom door by the time Jacques catches up to me.

I exclaim, but he pushes me inside the bathroom and closes the door. I back away until my back touches the marble sink and glare at him.

There's no key on the lock, so he can't lock us in.

That doesn't make the situation better, though.

"Get out of my way, you sick f**k," I spit. I rarely swear, but Jacques is making me really mad.

"Come now, Addy. There's no reason why you need to be so upset. I just wanna talk."

I reach for the door but he puts his disgusting hands on me, pushing me back against the sink instead. It's not that Jacques reeks, but his cologne is nauseating. There's just something so repugnant about him.

"Let go of me, Jacques!" I yell. The music is so loud downstairs that I don't think anyone will hear me, though. That doesn't mean I'll stop trying. "I'll call the police! I swear to you I will!"

"Don't you want this?" he questions, tilting his head to the side. "We've been flirting all night, Addy. You're still a cocktease, it seems."

I spit right in his face just as the door behind us swings open. My eyes widen in shock and I even gasp. Everett storms into the bathroom, looking back and forth between the two of us.

At last, Jacques backs away, and he says, "Stormbourne, what are you—"

Everett shuts him up with a punch.

My hand flies to my mouth and I watch, horrified, as Everett drags him out of the bathroom and into the hallway. Once they're gone, I follow them, and I see Everett throwing kicks at Jacques' side.

"Didn't I warn you?" he grits out. "What the f**k do you think you're doing?"

Jacques just brings up his hands to shield his face. I decide to put a stop to it because if things go too far, the police will have to get involved. So, I grab his blazer and start pulling him backward. "Everett, that's enough. Stop."

By a miracle, he actually listens to me.

Jacques scrambles to his feet like the rat that he is and races toward the stairs. Everett runs his hands through his hair and turns around to look at me. He slips his mask off his face and I do the same.

"Are you alright?" he asks breathlessly.

I rub my wrists nervously and he immediately reaches for them to inspect them. I stare at him a little wide-eyed, trying to explain that I'm not hurt, but the words don't come out as quickly. "Where did he hurt you?"

I swallow. "Nowhere."

His eyes meet mine. They look so green right now. "Are you sure?"

I nod.

He's still holding my hand, and I'm terrified that he'll touch my pulse and find out just how fast my heart is beating.

I don't know what's going on, but something has shifted. I become so aware of how his touch feels and how his warmth is seeping into me. His cologne...Whatever he uses smells divine and suits him so much.

It's strong, musky, minty.

Mysterious.

"How did you know to find me?" I ask in a voice barely above a whisper.

Everett hesitates before answering my question. He stays quiet for so long that I assume he'll ignore it, but then he says, "I was keeping an eye on you. I didn't want to interfere, but when I saw you leaving and he followed you. I..."

He trails off.

"Why were you keeping an eye on me?"

This time, something flashes across his eyes, but he looks away before I have a chance of seeing what it is. He releases my hand and starts backing away. "I can't do this."

Frowning, I follow him and say his name. "Everett?"

He stops, takes a deep breath, then whirls around. "I can't do this, Addy."

"Do what?" I ask slowly, searching his eyes.

The look in his eyes intensifies, and then before I know it, he's striding toward me. In a matter of seconds, his arm snakes around my waist, pulling me toward his hard body, and his lips crash right into mine.