Tucking his hands into his pockets, he takes a step closer, and I drop my eyes to his feet and narrow them when it looks like he’s going to step up onto one of the stairs. Stopping, he clears his throat. “I want to be your friend.”
“I’m topped up on friends, so I’m going to have to pass,” I say, realizing I’m speaking the truth. For the first time in forever, I have real friends, friends who are there for me just because they want to be, not because they think there is something I can do for them or give to them.
“Aria.”
“Just say what you want to say, Josh, and leave.”
“I want you back.” He jerks his hand out of his pocket to run his fingers through his hair. “Fuck, Aria, I miss you. I love you.” Looking into his eyes, I feel nothing—nothing but annoyance, because he’s full of it. He doesn’t miss me. He doesn’t love me. I doubt he even knows what love is.
“You need to leave.”
“If you think I’m worried about what you’ve been doing with the guy you’re seeing, I get it. It’s okay; I don’t care about him. We can work past that situation,” he says, and I start to laugh. I can’t help it. It’s hilarious that he thinks I would ever be with him again, that he thinks he holds a candle to Tide. “I’m serious.”
“Right.” I wipe the wetness from under my eyes as my laughter dies down. “No, thank you.”
“What?” His brows drag together.
“No, thank you. I’m not interested.” I turn to head back inside, then hear his feet hit my steps, and I spin to face him, shocked by how close he is. I open my mouth to ask him what he thinks he’s doing and don’t even have a chance to prepare for his arms wrapping around me and his mouth crashing into mine. I shove at his chest, trying to get away, but he’s stronger than me, and when he tries to shove his tongue in my mouth, I lift my knee to connect with his nuts, but end up jumping when a horn honks and chunks of dirt clink against the side of the house.
With him just as dismayed as I am, he lets me go, and I smack him without thinking, then curse myself, because my hand stings. I’m pretty sure I just hurt myself by hitting his stupid face.
“Gonna give you to the count of two to get your ass off that porch and in that car, because if I get my hands on you, I’m beating the shit out of you,” Tide growls, and I watch with wide eyes as he storms up the steps, looking ready to explode.
“Tide—”
“Don’t.” He points at me, and I snap my mouth shut, then look at Josh, hoping he’s smart enough to leave, because I don’t relish the idea of cleaning up blood or them breaking something that Tide will latter have to fix.
“We were just talking.” Josh holds up his hands, walking backward, and Tide prowls right for him. Smartly, Josh reads the threat for what it is—a giant predator heading his way—and puts his hands on the railing of the deck and flips himself over the side as Tide lunges. When I hear him land in the thorny bushes that line the deck, I stand on my tiptoes and press my lips together to keep from laughing, watching him yell about being poked while he dances around.
“Get in your car,” Tide clips, obviously not finding the situation as funny as I do. Josh flips him off, then his eyes fill with horror when Tide jumps over the rail. Unlike Josh, he doesn’t land in the bushes. He lands on his feet in a squat like some kind of superhero dressed like a construction worker, in his boots, jeans, and thermal. When he stands, Josh runs so fast for the car that he trips over his own feet, barely catching himself before he hits the ground.
When Josh finally makes it to the car, he fumbles with the door handle before he finally gets it open, then he gets in behind the wheel, quickly engages the locks, and starts the engine. As he peels out of the driveway, Tide turns to face me, still looking angry.
“What the fuck, Aria?” he barks, and my spine stiffens.
“What do you mean what the fuck?”
“I come home and that fucking douchebag is here with you and his tongue is down your throat.”
“Excuse me?” I plant my hands on my hips and narrow my eyes on his.
“What was he doing here?” He stops at the bottom of the stairs, then leans forward to thunder, “With his mouth on you!”
“You need to count to ten before you speak again,” I say with my heart pounding and my stomach rolling. “You know that’s not what that was.”
His nostrils flare as he rips a hand through his hair, dipping his head back to look up at the sky that has gone dark. I wrap my arms around my middle. When he drops his head and his gaze meets mine, he shakes his head and starts to open his mouth, but stops when his phone rings with the tone that is attached to Anna’s number. He pulls it out and answers with a clipped “Yeah.” Then he drops his eyes to his boots, muttering, “Be there in a few.”
Even as annoyed as I am with him, I still ask, “Is everything okay with Olivia?”
“She’s fine. A pipe busted, and Anna needs me to come over to have a look at it.”
“Oh.” I nod, and he sighs, coming up the steps and grabbing my upper arms.
“I’ll be back.”
“Sure,” I agree, and his eyes search mine for a long moment before he drops his forehead to mine.
“We’ll talk when I get back.”
“Great,” I lie, and he leans in, kissing my forehead, before he turns around and heads back down the steps. I stand out on the porch with my arms wrapped around myself, not sure how I’m feeling as he drives off, but know it doesn’t feel good.
Going back inside I go to my office, grab my cell, then stop in the kitchen to get my open bottle of Rosé from the fridge and a plastic cup from the cupboard. I head up to my bedroom and walk through right to the bathroom, flipping on the tub before resting my bottle, cup, and cell in the fancy shelf that sits across the bottom of the tub. With the bath filling up, I dump in some bath salts, strip out of my clothes, and tie up my hair. After I sink into the hot water, I pull the stopper out of my wine bottle, pour myself a cup, and take a large gulp before I pick up my cell phone. There is only one person I know who might understand what just happened, and I need her advice.
“Aria,” Gia answers on the second ring, and I lean my head back, closing my eyes. “Is everything okay?”
“I don’t know,” I admit.
“Shit… hold on one second,” she says, and I take a gulp of my drink, hearing her tell Colton to watch Gino for a few minutes while she takes her call outside. “All right, what happened?”
I quickly tell her everything that happened from the time Josh showed up to the time Tide took off. When I finish, I wait for her to say something, anything, but she doesn’t. “Gia?”
“Sorry, I’m stuck on the fact that Tide jumped over the railing like a ninja to go after your ex,” she says quietly, and a smile curves my lips. “I bet that was a sight to see.”
“You could say that.” I laugh, and she giggles.
“And what the hell is up with your ex trying to kiss you?”
“I have no flipping idea. I don’t even know why he’s suddenly coming around when he’s been happy to live the good life in Cali.”