I stalked over to her so quickly that her annoying cat ran and hid. I give her props: she didn’t even bat an eyelash. She crossed her arms over her work shirt and huffed.
“I’m telling you right now that I told her Monday that she and I couldn’t be friends, so lay off, Breanna.”
“Don’t talk to me like that!” she yelled in my face.
I reeled myself in, trying to calm down. It wasn’t even worth it. I wasn’t even angry that she was yelling at me. I was angry because I was upset that I hurt Ivy. It was sickening.
“Why are you so angry?” I asked, voice back to normal. “Why do you hate her so much? You’re acting crazy about this.”
Her eyes narrowed. “I just don’t like her. Never have, and I don’t want her to hurt you again.”
“I appreciate that, but I’m a big boy and I can make my own decisions. I’m trying to make this ‘relationship’ work with you, but I didn’t expect to see an entirely different side of you all because Ivy came back to town.”
She placed her hands on her hips, clearly irritated. “So you think I’m crazy now? See! She’s already swaying your opinion about me!”
I huffed out a laugh. “If you were to act like this, even before Ivy came to town, I would have still thought you were being irrational and possessive. We’ve been dating for a couple months and all of a sudden, you’re acting as if you own me. Ivy and I aren’t friends. I’m working on her house, and that’s it. Breanna, when I told you I would try a relationship with you, I wasn’t expecting you to do a 180. I don’t like this drama.”
And I don’t even think it’s worth it.
Her eyes grew large. “So what are you implying? That we break up because I’m angry about Ivy? I’m allowed to get upset, Dawson! I’m your girlfriend now—did you think we would never fight?”
“I’m saying that I need you reel in your crazy, because I didn’t sign up for this.”
Breanna didn’t answer me. I wanted her to simmer in that for a little while. Ivy aside, I wouldn’t be able to deal with this for much longer. Even if Ivy weren’t back and Breanna was acting like this about something else, I’d be long gone.
And I was certain that Breanna wouldn’t act like this with anyone else; it was just Ivy. She had hated her for as long as I could remember. And as of right now, I couldn’t even blame her for feeling insecure because whether I admitted it aloud or not, Ivy was a threat. Even if I never saw her again, she’d be a threat because I loved the simple thought of Ivy more than I could ever love Breanna and that… that was absolutely terrible.
Why am I even still with her?
Because I felt like I owed it to her? Or was it just fear?
I left Breanna’s on semi-okay terms. She was leaving for a car auction with the dealership in the morning and she’d be gone until Sunday. I hated to feel thankful, but I was. We needed some space. She needed to think about what I’d said and I needed to get my shit together.
I had a feeling that she was still going to continue to think that there was something up with Ivy and I, even if we didn’t speak. Breanna had known me for a long time, and we’ve grown closer over the years. Nothing like Ivy and I had, but we spent a decent amount of time together. Whether that time was spent having sex was beside the point. We still knew each other pretty well. I think she knew deep down that I still had something lingering in the background for Ivy.
If she knew me like I thought she did, she probably had at least an inkling of validation.
I almost felt stuck, like I was frozen. I didn’t know which way was up. Stay with Breanna in my safe place, try to make her happy in the long run, or…
I didn’t even want to think about it any longer. I couldn’t. I hastily shook my head, clearing my thoughts as my truck’s tires crunched over the loose gravel in front of Ships. I quickly shut it off and hopped out, my mouth instantly watering for a beer as crickets chirped in the distant hayfield. At least that would help ease the tension crawling over my shoulders.
The second I stepped into the bar, I knew that Ivy was somewhere near. Every male had his attention elsewhere, even guys who were with a date. We lived in such a small town that when a newbie sauntered in, especially one as attractive as Ivy, people noticed.
My eyes followed everyone else’s and when I found her, I almost died right then.
It was a heart-stopping moment. She threw her pretty head back and laughed and I swore I could feel it on my skin. But the happiness I felt, seeing her so carefree and beautiful, quickly dissolved when I took in the rest of the scene, which involved her sitting in a booth with my brother and one of his employees.
Jealousy tore into my chest and pulled out my heart. My ears flamed and my fists clenched at my sides. I almost walked over to them and ripped my brother out of the booth for letting her sit so closely to that piece of shit employee who was leaning his head down so far that she could probably smell his alcohol-ridden breath.
I stood, ramrod straight, staring at them for so long that people started to turn their attention to me.
Ivy didn’t even glance at me though, and that was probably better for the both of us. I had told her we couldn’t be friends, so me staring at her like a fucking dipshit wasn’t going to help matters.
But she was sitting beside Kip. Fucking Kip. He smoked weed in his spare time and banged more than one chick a night.
She had no business being near him.
I was going to fucking kill my brother. Kill.