Page 66 of A Solid Guide to Surviving a Situationship

CHAPTER 9

THE DANGEROUS EX

“Hi.”

That was it.

No buildup. No warning. Just ‘hi.’

And somehow, that single word hit harder than anything else he could’ve said.

I remained frozen in my seat, because there he was.

Kyle.

The Dangerous Ex.

Standing in front of me like he hadn’t just walked back into my life uninvited. Like he hadn’t just interrupted something I was barely holding together.

Tonight, he was dressed like trouble dressed up for a theme it didn’t fully respect. A fitted flannel shirt snapped cleanly across his chest, tracing the kind of shape that made you suddenly aware of your own breathing. The sleeves clung to his biceps like they had something to prove. Even the way it tapered at his waist made it unfairly obvious that he knew exactly what his body did to my insides.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, my voice sharper than I intended.

Kyle didn’t answer right away. He just looked at me—that same infuriating, knowing look—like he was enjoying this a little too much.

Up close, his eyes made it impossible to think in full sentences. Soft in the worst possible way—puppy-eyed, like he was always one second away from asking for forgiveness he didn’t actually mean. Except it wasn’t innocent. It was intentional. Like he knew exactly what that look did to people like me… and used it anyway.

His face was no better. Sharp features cut through the softness—high cheekbones, a jaw that looked carved rather than grown, a faint beard shadow that never quite disappeared no matter how clean he kept it. And that well-trimmed goatee, like he had decided every detail of his face should feel like a warning.

Before he could say anything, Andre stood up.

“Brother!” he said, grinning, pulling him into a quick hug like they hadn’t seen each other for years. “You made it.”

I blinked.

Wait.

“Andre, what’s happening?” I repeated, looking between them.

Andre pulled back, clapping Kyle on the shoulder like this was the most normal thing in the world.

“I invited him,” he said casually.

I stared at him.

“You invited him,” I echoed. “Why?”

Andre gave me a look. “Come on now.”

“No, don’t ‘come on now’ me, Andre,” I shot back. “You know I hate him.”

“Do you now?” Kyle finally spoke, his voice smooth—amused.

I turned to him slowly.

God!

That smirk.