“What are you doing here?” she says.
I take in how Ben doesn’t answer right away. He just stands there, his nostrils flaring, biting down so hard, I can see the muscle in the side of his jaw twitch.
“Just out with a friend,” he mutters.
Bullshit. This prick is lying. And I bet I know why.
Just then a tall brunette walks over. “Hey, are you gonna pay with the Black Amex, or…”
She goes quiet as she takes in the scene. I turn to Becca to check on her. Her facial expression is almost unreadable. Her mouth is a straight line, her eyes are focused, and she’s not outwardly reacting to what her ex has just said. The pain in her eyes is crystal clear though.
“Black Amex, huh?” A bitter laugh falls from her lips. It makes my chest sting. “That’s a pretty-high rolling credit card, Ben. Where’d you get the money for that?”
She looks him straight in the eye as she speaks, her tone steady and pointed. The guy tugs on his tie, the look on his face like he’s contemplating strangling himself to get out of being questioned by Becca.
“That’s none of your business,” he finally says.
The woman he’s with—his girlfriend, I’m assuming—bounces a confused stare between him and Becca. “Do you two know each other?”
When Ben starts to shake his head “no,” I see red. This fucking asshole. Is he seriously going to lie while he’s standing between his ex and his current girlfriend?
Becca’s eyes go wide with disbelief as she witnesses her ex deny her existence while standing right in front of him. But she doesn’t lash out at him like I expect—like he deserves. Instead, she looks around him to his girlfriend.
“Yes, we do know each other actually. I’m Becca, Ben’s ex-girlfriend. He broke up with me last month when he confessed to cheating on me. And two days later, he emptied my bank account. He stole twenty thousand dollars from me.”
The woman gasps before her gaze darts over to Ben. “What the hell? Is that true? Were you seeing me when you were still with her? And god, you took her money too?”
“Don’t you dare lie,” Becca bites.
Ben’s shoulders sink when he exhales, his jaw tight. “There are two sides to every story,” he says to the woman next to him.
Becca’s jaw drops. I realize I’m clenching my hands into fists. I force myself to loosen them.
This guy. Fucking unreal. Yeah, I’m sure Becca wasn’t perfect in her relationship. No one is. But she didn’t cheat on him. She didn’t steal his money. And she’s not telling outright lies about him while he stands in front of her. She’s a million times better than this guy is.
This prick is a piece of work and deserves a punch to the face. My hands stay at my sides though. This situation is bad enough as it is. Becca is clearly hurt at seeing her ex and having to witness him lie about her. As satisfying as it would be to kick the shit out of this guy, it would only make things worse.
My focus needs to be on supporting Becca.
I notice the woman with Ben furrowing her brow, like she’s processing what he’s just said. “So wait, does that mean youdidcheat on her and steal from her?”
Ben turns red. She starts to step away from him, but he reaches for her. “Chrissa, baby, I can explain.”
Becca scoffs. “God, Ben. I can’t believe you would stoop this low.”
Her voice shakes as she trails off. I look down and notice she’s trembling. I take her hand in mine and feel her instantly still. Her pained stare softens the slightest bit as she looks at me like she’s grateful for my support. Like she’s relieved I’m here.
Protectiveness surges through me. I turn to the woman. “Chrissa, right? Becca is telling the truth. Do yourself a favor and drop this guy.”
“Who the hell are you?” Ben glares at me before looking at Becca’s and my joined hands.
“A friend,” I spit.
“Why the hell are you chiming in? This conversation doesn’t involve you.”
He takes a step toward me and straightens to his full height, which is a couple inches taller than me. I let out a laugh. This dipshit. So predictable. Posturing like a peacock, trying to intimidate me into backing off.
Fat fucking chance.
