He Called Me Boring, I Dumped Him

Chapter 4

I headed back to the place I'd shared with Pete, and it took me less than an hour to pack up all my things.

One single suitcase.

Seven whole years of my life, and it all fit into that one suitcase.

Whatever, though. I could've walked away without even that if I'd wanted to.

I'd barely finished moving into my new apartment when my best friend called, practically begging me to drop by her newly opened bar.

She said I'd been cooped up at home way too long, and it was high time I got out and saw what the world had to offer. Prince Charmings don't exactly grow on trees, she joked, but single guys practically come on tap at her bar.

At nine o'clock, she called again to make sure I was coming. Some big shot had just shown up out of nowhere and picked up the entire tab for the night, she said, heavily hinting that I'd be an i***t to miss the chance.

Hell yeah I was going.

I swiped on a flawless winged liner in the mirror, grabbed my small purse, and headed out in high spirits.

Tanya spotted me the second I stepped through the door, her eyes going wide with awe.

"Good riddance to that loser, seriously. This split is the best thing that could've happened to you. Do you have any idea how long it's been since I've seen you look this hot? Hiding that killer body of yours cooped up at home for all those years? Total waste of a good thing."

I tugged the corner of my mouth up with a small smile.

Tanya set me up at a table tucked away in the corner, then headed off to greet other customers, leaving me to drink alone.

The drinks were low-alcohol, but I was knocking them back one after another, so it didn't take long for a faint buzz to settle in.

Just as I was starting to feel a little lightheaded, a tall figure dropped into the seat across from me, and a long arm reached out to grab my drink.

I reacted lightning fast, slapping my palm down over the bottle cap with a soft thud before he could grab it, and shot him an annoyed look.

"Want a drink? Go grab your own. Some big shot is covering the whole tab tonight. It would be dumb not to take advantage."

The man let out a light, warm chuckle, then curved a finger to scratch lightly at the back of my hand.

"You took off out of nowhere just like that, and I didn't even get mad. Is taking one sip of your drink really that much to ask?"

That voice was so familiar.

I snapped my head up, and my gaze collided with a pair of bright, youthful eyes.

Their owner was tilting his head to look right at me, a faint, bewitching smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

The words got stuck in my throat so fast I couldn't make a peep if I tried.

Colin Ford.

The college kid I met when I was bumming around on my trip to New York.

"Oh, so you know our girl Nicola?" Tanya trotted over, eyes sparkling with excitement, and jumped right into casual conversation. "Perfect timing! I was just worrying about how to get her home. I'd be so worried if she went home alone all drunk, you know? Would you mind doing me a huge favor and seeing her back safely?"

I opened my mouth to protest, but Tanya pinched my arm hard under the table, cutting me off before I could make a sound.

She leaned in and whispered urgently in my ear, "Nic, Colin's the big shot who paid for the whole bar tonight! Word is he got his heart broken by some mysterious girl when he was traveling a while back, and he's been in a funk ever since. Girl, this is as far as I can push you... you're on your own from here!"

"Sure," Colin answered before I could even think of a way to turn the offer down.

I stared back up at those eyes, still glinting with that faint, amused smile, and my own smile slowly dropped right off my face.

Wait, hold on.

Is there, like, any chance at all…

That the so-called heartless girl he's talking about is me?