Page 12 of My Never
“You don’t let very many people in, do you?”
His phone buzzes, and he picks it up, sighing when he reads the message, then looks back up at me.
“No… I don’t.”
He stands and grabs the empty plate from my hand, taking it to the kitchen to refill before bringing it back to me.
“Colin’s here. I’m sorry that you had one hell of a day, and I hope that I made it a little more tolerable at the end. Get some rest. I expect snarky banter the next time I see you.”
“Thank you, Mark.”
“You bet.”
He lets himself out the front door, and I just sit there staring at it as if it were my TV. What the hell just happened? I am truly confused. He just admitted that he doesn’t let very many people in, but for a few short minutes, he letmein.
4
Mark
Climbing up into Colin’s truck, I ready myself for the questions.
“Alright, time to spill. What the heck happened?”
“Hell, I’m still trying to wrap my head around it.” I rest my elbow on the window’s edge, leaning my head against my fingers. “I ran into Ava at the grocery store, and we did our usual back and forth, but she basically told me she had a shitty day, so I eased up a bit. I walked away to finish my shopping, but when I was coming out of the next aisle on my way to check out, the douche was right there making her feel like shit. He called her a bitch, and I saw red. I stepped in and pretended to be her boyfriend. Couldn’t leave in separate cars and ruin that now, could I?”
Colin peers over at me with a smirk, then looks back at the road.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“Say it.”
“Just a tad protective there.”
“He was talking to her like she was nothing. The thought of not saying anything to help was worse.”
“Mmmm hmmm. I get it. I’m even proud of you for stepping up. But, fake boyfriend?”
“He needed to see that she was still desirable.”
Colin chuckles. “And that was your place? You couldn’t have just stepped in and asked if there was a problem?”
I clench my teeth. “It was quick improvisation. I didn’t know what else to do.”
Colin laughs harder this time. “Well… Did it work?”
“He was madder than a hornet by the time we walked out of there, so… I’d say so.”
“I bet you Ava is having one hell of a time trying to absorb what just happened.”
“Yeah. She basically asked who the fuck I was and what I did with the real Mark.”
“You let her in for a minute.”
“I let her in.”
“You’re kindred spirits in that way.”
