Josephine "Finn" Harwood has lived a frustrated life. Her husband never loved her. Friends and family are non-existent. She has lived much of her life in affluent solitude. On the night of her 56th birthday, she decides to end her marriage and make...
"Babe, who is this jerk harassing you?" Ari's voice is gets low and raspy again. It's clear that he's trying to sound agitated. But it also sounds sexy as hell. Oof. "And why is he wearing such a cheap suit?"
"Josephine, I asked you a question!" Wesley ignores Ari completely. "Answer me right now! Who is this man?!"
"It's none of your business who this man is!" I sputter. "I told you to leave!"
"Not until you tell me who he is and why he has his hands on you!" Frustration and annoyance finally manage to crack through Wesley's elegant facade. He no longer looks the part of chivalrous prince. Instead, he looks like a bratty child who isn't getting his way. "I want answers and I want them now."
"Here's an answer for you." Ari leans in toward Wesley with a piercing stare. "Get lost."
"What?! Get lost?" Wesley is so loud, everyone around is staring. I look down at my feet, mortified. "Do you know who I am?"
"I don't care who you are." Why does Ari have to sound so sexy when he growls? Geez, where is my head at? "The lady asked you to leave."
Wesley's face darkens and the edge in his voice shakes me right up. He balls his hands into the fists and I fear that he might actually try to take a swing at Ari despite being surrounded by other students. But then he takes a deep breath, and another, smoothing out his suit as the calm returns to his face.
It was only a moment, but I saw it. The monster behind the princely aura - the one who pushed me down those stairs.
That monster wasn't a flash in the pain, a temporary moment of emotional insanity. No...he was always there...wasn't it?
"I'm Josephine's boyfriend and I have every right to be here!" Wesley speaks quietly, but I can still hear that menacing edge in his voice. "And I demand to know why you have your hands on my woman!"
"I think you've got it wrong, mate." Ari pulls me closer, never taking his eyes off my ex. I stand there, dumbfounded, wondering how I got myself into this. But also grateful for Ari for having my back. "First off, she's no one's woman but her own. Second, I'm Finn's boyfriend."
Wesley's eye nearly pop out of their sockets. "Are you kidding me? Josephine, tell him! Tell him that I'm your boyfriend!"
"My girlfriend has nothing more to say to you," Ari hisses. "But since you can't seem to listen, how about I get security to throw you out?"
I watch in awe as Ari takes out his cellphone, fingers dancing across the screen. Wesley looks like he's about explode. "What is he doing? Josephine! Stop him! Tell him the truth!"
I don't say anything. Instead, I look the other way as Ari makes the call. "Hello, security? I'd like to report an incident in the Elliott building..."
"Clearly, this is not a good time," Wesley stammers, stumbling backward. "Josephine, I will speak to you later!"
Wesley rushes out of the building, throwing us a furious look before sprinting away. It's only when he's out of sight that I'm able to exhale. My legs give out as I fall to the floor, gasping for air.
"Oh my God..." I look up at Ari, who looks just as shocked as I do. "What...What the hell did you just do?"
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