Thenhis eyes met mine and they were full of disgust. “Like you’rehisgirlfriend.”
Myheart hammered wildly in my chest as I shook my head. “No, he doesn’t.”
“Oh,no? And you think it’s totally normal for him to completely ignore his owngirlfriend while he stares at you and fucks you with his—”
“Knockit off,” I pushed through gritted teeth, shaking my head.
Hesneered, shaking his head once again. “What, you don’t want me to say it?”
“No!”
“Why?Because you know it’s the truth?”
Pushingaway from the table, I stood up quickly, ignoring the spinning and swooping ofmy brain and guts. “Because it’s bullshit!”
Hislips curled into a sneer. “Is it, though?”
Shakingmy head and crossing my arms, I stared at him, unable to believe this wasreally happening, while wondering if I should’ve seen it coming.
“Brendan,”I said, flat and controlled. “You sound like a really jealous boyfriend rightnow, and I don’t like it.”
“Isound like a jealous boyfriend because I watched you look at a guy last nightin a way you’veneverlooked at me!”
Withmy back to him, my eyeswidenedand I wondered, wasthat true? Had my gaze revealed something I should have kept locked away? Itwas then that it occurred to me that maybe I hadn’t been keeping this thingwith Goose as innocent as I thought I had. Maybe maintaining a friendship witha man, I was undoubtedly physically attracted to, was a poisonous thingdestined to kill every other good thing around me. Maybe it was time to end itbefore things got worse. Brendan was the father of my baby after all, andreally, what was Goose other than the nice guy who made my favorite wings?
Iwas about to tell Brendan that I wouldn’t see Goose anymore, because making himuncomfortable wasn’t my intention. But then, I remembered that I didn’t reallyhave anybody else in the city, apart from my boyfriend. It had taken myintroverted self too long to make a friend, and while I did find himattractive, I was also faithful to Brendan. Nothing would happen between Gooseand me, if I had anything to do with it, and I wasn’t going to give up myfriend for the sake of my jealous boyfriend’s feelings.
“Youhave female friends,” I pointed out.
“Yeah,so?”
“Youdon’t see me having an issue with them.”
Brendanturned around, with his head cocked and his arms crossed. “You’ve never metthem. So, why would you have a problem with them?”
Mimickinghis stance, I replied, “Shouldn’t that make me even more jealous or suspicious?”
“Whatthe hell are you talking about?”
“I’msaying, I invited you on a double date with my friend and his girlfriend, whileyou always go out after work with your lady friends and I’ve still never metthem. Shouldn’t that bother me more than this is bothering you?”
“You’redeflecting,” he replied, cold and harsh. “I don’t like it.”
“Youdon’t have to like it,” I shot back. “But I’m notgonnastop going to the bar just because you said so, when I have never made any kindof demands of you.”
Brendan’snostrils flared and a muscle beneath his jaw ticked. He held his mouth firm andhis eyes stern for a moment, before exhaling heavily and looking away, as hewiped a hand over his mouth.
“God,I’m sorry,” he said, his voice rough and quiet.
Idropped my gaze and shrugged. “Whatever, it’s fine.”
Then,he laid his hand over my belly and kissed my cheek. The conversation wasdropped, lunch was eaten, and afterward, he left to go back to work. But Icouldn’t shake the discomfort I’d felt over his burst of anger andconfrontation, or how suddenly it just seemed to fade away, as though it hadnever happened. I had never seen him quite like that before and it irked me.
Iwondered what Tracey had thought about our night. I wondered if she and Goosehad gotten into a fight or if they were eager to go out with us again. Iconsidered that maybe Brendan was just a jealous, territorial ass and thatthere really was nothing to be angry about.
So,I texted Goose, to ask if Tracey had a good time, and although I waited andwaited, I never got an answer.
“That’sweird,” I said to Mrs. Potter, who replied with a slow blink of the eyes and aflip of the tail.
