Cue the awkward ride home.
Connor has been dead silent. So much so, the silence is deafening. I stare out the passenger window and try to calm down. What happens now? Did I just make things between us super uncomfortable between us? Maybe he didn’t think I would want him. Maybe I read it all wrong . . . I suck at this. I’m like an infant woman when it comes to the opposite sex. I don’t know anything, but how to suck my thumb and crap my pants—metaphorically speaking.
He pulls my car in the drive and my stomach twists. Vick is sitting on the tailgate of his truck, waiting. When we pull in, Connor parks beside him and judging by the look on his face, he’s pissed.
“I have this,” I tell him, placing a hand on his arm. He’s tense, poised to fight.
“Why don’t you let me—”
“Let me take care of this,” I interrupt him. “Please, Connor.”
He stares straight ahead and nods once. We both climb out of the car and Vick immediately approaches. “Hey,” he greets with a smile. “Hi, Connor,” he waves. Connor looks to me, his eyes saying, I want to kill him. He never looks at Vick, just shuts the driver’s side door and heads into the garage.
“Wow,” Vick breathes as he looks me up and down. “You look . . . fantastic.”
“Thanks,” I manage.
“What happened tonight? I called you a million times. I thought we were meeting tonight.”
“We were,” I pipe up. “But plans changed.”
“Are you okay?” he asks, genuine concern in his tone.
I turn and lean my back against the car so that I’m facing him, but pull my heels off. My feet are killing me. Inhaling deeply, I say bluntly, “Your wife stopped by for a visit today.”
His face goes slack, and he blinks a few times as if processing my words. “My wife?” he asks before swallowing hard.
“Yeah. Pretty blonde, mother of your child with one on the way.”
He closes his eyes and takes a step back, letting out a growl. “Demi—”
“Look,” I cut in, holding my hand up. “You obviously have some unfinished business back home that you need to deal with. I’ve enjoyed our time together, but this isn’t going to work.”
“Demi, I don’t think the baby is mine.”
“Vick,” I snort. “It doesn’t matter. You lied to me about being married and hid that you have a kid. That’s . . . not okay.”
“You don’t understand. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you but look at it from my perspective.”
Shaking my head, I move to walk toward my house, but he steps in front of me. “You’re this gorgeous widow that for some reason, picked me to be the first guy she dated in a long time . . . I was afraid my baggage would freak you out.”
“So you lied?” I ask, calmly, refusing to let myself get upset.
“More like . . . omitted.”
“You can’t omit a wife and child, Vick.” The disgust in my tone is obvious and causes him to frown and shake his head. Again, I move to walk past him, but he grabs my arm stopping me.
“I’m crazy about you,” he admits. “I know this seems bad, but I swear it’s not as bad as it seems.”
“Please let me go,” I ask, again, calmly.
“Please don’t do this, Demi,” he begs.
“Let go of her fucking arm,” Connor booms as he appears beside us, his fierce stare fixed on Vick blaring a thousand warnings. Vick releases my arm, and I scurry to the bottom step. He wasn’t hurting me at all, but I’m still glad for Connor’s intervention.
“Tonight was the night, wasn’t it?” he yells out to me. I whip around and see him looking at me over Connor’s shoulder as Connor more or less forces him to retreat. He’s not touching Vick, just using his massive physical presence to herd him away. “That’s why you’re dressed like that, right? You wanted me. Please don’t let this ruin what we have.”
“Get the fuck out of here,” Connor snaps and pushes Vick, who stumbles back but manages to catch himself before he falls to the ground.