My real girlfriend
I BARREL THROUGH THE SYCAMORE LOBBY INTO THE BACK COURTYARD and race
down the path toward our building. I gave Richard at the desk about three seconds to answer when I asked, “What’s up with the police car?”
All he managed to get out was “There was an incident with Diana and
—” before I was sprinting to Red Birch.
I take the stairs two at a time. Even over my thundering footsteps and thudding pulse, I hear Niall’s muffled voice. “Walk quiet!”
I ignore him. At Diana’s door, I push on the handle, but it’s locked, so I start banging against the door.
“Dixon, let me in. Are you okay?”
Footsteps approach the door. Then it swings open, and I see Gigi. “What happened?” I say instantly. “Where is she?”
“In the shower.”
Gigi’s grim face tells me whatever happened tonight wasn’t good. I storm inside, peering past her shoulders to find Mya Bell, Gigi’s former roommate, on Diana’s couch. I give a terse nod of greeting. She flicks up her hand in a quick wave.
“Was it that fucking asshole?” I demand. “Percy?”
Gigi nods. “Yeah. He was basically, like, casing the apartment when we got here.”
“What do you mean, casing?”
“I don’t know, that’s the best way I can explain it. He wasn’t on the property, but a few yards away from the Meadow Hill sign.” Anger colors her cheeks. “Diana spotted his car. She wanted to get out and confront him.”
“I hope you didn’t fucking let her.”
“Of course not. We went right in and called the cops. They got here within three minutes, which was impressive. But I guess there’s no crime in Hastings. They were probably just sitting around waiting for something to happen. The cops questioned Diana, then went to find Percy, who denied breaking the restraining order. He asserted he was beyond the minimum distance.”
“He’s supposed to stay a hundred yards away from her. If he was parked near the entrance of the driveway, that’s not a hundred yards.”
“He claimed where he was parked in relation to Red Birch itself and this apartment is exactly one hundred and eight yards. Supposedly he measured it using satellite imagery.”
“Slimy prick.”
“Yeah, Diana was pissed. So now it’s a matter of semantics, and the restraining order is being revised to include this apartment as well as the main building. It was a whole shitshow, and Diana just had enough. Which is why I think you should leave.”
I gape at her. “Like hell I’m leaving. I’m going to be right here when she gets out of the shower.”
“Shane,” Mya says tentatively. I glance over. “What?”
“You don’t have to put on the act anymore,” Gigi explains. “We know this isn’t a real relationship.” She gestures from me toward the bathroom beyond the hall.
“She told us everything,” Mya confirms.
“And I get it,” Gigi says quietly. “That was really nice of you to pretend to be her boyfriend while Percy was living here. And you did good, convincing her to report what happened to her. But…”
“But what?” I snap. “But you led her on.”
My chest squeezes. “Is that what she thinks?”
“What else is she supposed to think?” Gigi’s gray eyes flash at me. “She told you she had feelings for you, and you ditched her to go see your ex- girlfriend.”
“Yeah, for closure,” I mutter.
“What closure do you need? Didn’t she dump your ass a year ago?” Mya remarks from the couch.
I scowl at her. “Can we stop with the commentary?” I scrape both hands over my scalp. “Yes, I screwed up, and I know she’s pissed off. But there’s nothing between me and Lynsey. I made it very clear to her tonight that I don’t want to get back together.”
“Regardless, I don’t know if tonight is the night to be dealing with… whatever this is. This fake relationship—”
“It isn’t fake,” I burst out. “It’s real as fuck. Do you not get that? I love her.”
Gigi blinks. “Oh. Seriously?”
I scrub a hand over my face, uncomfortable under Gigi’s and Mya’s surprised scrutiny. My feelings for Diana have been percolating for months now, but this is the first time I’ve been able to give them a label. Love. I fucking love this girl.
I didn’t expect the realization to strike in front of an audience, and I wish her friends would just leave already and let me go see my girl.
“Seriously,” I mutter to Gigi. “So do me a favor and let me take it from here. Please.”
“I’m not leaving.”
“You said she’s okay, right? She’s pissed but not shaken up. He didn’t touch her. So, please, just go. I really appreciate that you drove her home and stayed with her while the cops were here, but I’m asking you, very nicely, to go now so I can be alone with the woman I love.”
After a long beat, Gigi nods. “Fine. But I’m calling her in an hour, and if she sounds even the least bit upset, I’m driving back and kicking you out
myself.”
“Fair. And I mean it—thank you for being here for her. You’re a good friend. Both of you.”
After they leave, I lock the door and return to the living room. I groan my frustration into my palms while trying to ignore the little spark of fear that asks, What if Gigi and Mya hadn’t been with her? What if he somehow found a way to—
No, I can’t even think about that.
But I should have been there, damn it. “So you love me.”
I look up and find Diana standing in the hall doorway. She’s wrapped in that pink towel she was wearing the first time I saw her in this building. Her cheeks are red from the shower. She walks toward me on bare feet.
“You heard that, huh?” I say ruefully.
“Yep.” Her green eyes sweep over me. “Did you mean it?” “Do I ever say anything I don’t mean?”
She shrugs. “I don’t know. It sure looked like you meant it when you chose your ex over me.”
“I didn’t choose her over you. I know it seems like that, but I needed to go with her tonight. I had a suspicion I needed to confirm.”
“What suspicion?”
“That my relationship with Lynsey was not as good as I thought it was.” My words bring a twinkle of humor to her eyes. She bites her lip.
“Are you trying not to laugh?” I demand.
“Sort of. I mean, it was so obvious. From everything you’ve said about her, it sounds like the relationship was the Lynsey Show and you were just a supporting cast member.”
“I see that now. And I wanted to talk to her tonight so I could tell her all that. And to make sure she knows I don’t want to get back together.”
“But she tried to, didn’t she? Just like I said she would.” “I had a feeling she would too,” I admit.
Diana glares at me. “And yet you acted like the idea was so
preposterous when I raised it.”
“Look, when she said she broke up with Tyreek, it occurred to me she might try to rekindle things, but that’s not why I wanted to see her.”
“Really. You didn’t want your little ego boost from knowing your ex is dying to get you back?”
“No. I didn’t. I needed to have that final moment with her. We were together for four years. I wanted her to know that we weren’t right for each other and that I’ve fallen in love with my girlfriend. My real girlfriend.”
Diana is biting her lip again. But the smile cannot be contained. It bursts through, lighting her entire face. “I don’t think you’re lying to me.”
“I’m not,” I say softly. “I don’t want anybody else, Dixon. I want you.” “Why?”
I furrow my brow.
“I’m serious. Why do you want me?” She’s chewing on her bottom lip, and I can practically see the insecurities rolling off her. “I’m drama, remember? I needed to tone myself down before meeting your family—”
My chest clenches. “Fuck. I’m so sorry I ever gave you the idea that I wanted you to change yourself.”
She clutches the top of her towel to keep it in place. “I won’t,” she says, unwavering. “Change myself, that is. I’m melodramatic and weird and I argue a lot, and that’s my personality. If that scares someone—”
“Doesn’t scare me,” I interject. “I don’t want you to change. I want you for you. Drama and all.” I grin at her. “So will you please be my real girlfriend?”
Diana plants one hand on her hip. “I’ll have to think about it.” “Gonna make me sweat, huh?” I chuckle.
“For a little while. But I’m not mad at you anymore.” “Good.”
“And…” She lifts a brow. “I might be falling for you too.” “Falling?” I feign outrage. “But I’ve already fallen.”
“I’m not telling you I love you on the night that you chose to go with your ex-girlfriend.”
“Fine. I will await it with bated breath.” I approach her towel-clad frame and touch her cheek. “Are you okay? Gigi told me what happened
with Percy.”
“I’m fine.” She shakes her head in disbelief. “I just can’t believe his arrogance. This sulking asshole sitting there in his car. He told the cops he was out for a drive and just happened to find himself at Meadow Hill, so he pulled over because he wanted to reminisce about our relationship. According to him, there was no malicious intent. It wasn’t meant to be a threat.”
“Bullshit.”
“I know. But the cops aren’t going to do anything because whoever wrote up the restraining order wasn’t clear in their language, so he’s off on a technicality. He didn’t break it. But either way, I’m calling Detective Wendt in the morning.”
“Don’t worry, I’m not letting this creep anywhere near you. If he shows up here again, he’s gonna have a word with Shane Junior and Shane the Third.” I raise my right fist and then the left.
“We need better names for your fists,” Diana says frankly.
“I know. In my defense, I’ve never called them anything before, so I was sort of winging it.”
“We’ll brainstorm.”
“Maybe bring it up at the next HOA meeting,” I suggest. “Good idea.” She’s smiling.
I open my arms. The moment she steps into them, her towel falls to the floor.
I snicker and peer down. “Oh. The seduction has started?”
She snorts. “I’m not seducing you. But…now that I’m naked…I guess
you can atone for tonight’s sins and give me an orgasm.”
Chuckling, I pick up her naked body, walk to the kitchen counter, and set her ass down on it. “I shall begin my atonement.”
