{Kayla}

Ian Hornsby waltzes in like he owns the place. He glances at me and quickly looks away, dismissing me like we were never anything. I hate that I let it hit me like an anvil to my chest. Sure, we’re exes. That doesn’t mean we have to be complete dicks about it. Well, he did text me a list of things wrong with me. I have every right to be a dick. He, however, does not.

He takes a seat at the booth and grabs a menu. With a deep breath, I approach with the coffeepot. If he dismisses me again, he’s wearing the coffee. “Good morning, Ian. Coffee?”

With a quick glance above the menu, he regards me, a frozen expression to really make me feel the love. “Krista?”

“Kayla,” I correct and ready the coffeepot. I hate him so much. Why did I ever go out with this man? Screw that. Why did I ever sleep with this man?

I know why. He was the exact opposite of Jake. At the time, that’s exactly what I thought I wanted. Now? I can’t imagine being with someone so boring. So predictable. So…So…

So much like me.

I stumble back as the realization hits me hard. I’m the female version of Ian Hornsby. Kill me now. I hate this man, hate everything about him. Does that mean I hate me? I don’t have time to think about the answer to that troubling question. More customers walk in and take seats. Leaving Ian with an empty cup, I make sure each and every table have refills before replacing the pot on the warmer.

“I never got my coffee,” Ian points out.

“I never got an apology.”

“You want me to apologize?” He sounds put out. “For what?”

I whip around. “What about texting me a list of things wrong with me?”

“You wouldn’t take my calls. What do you expect?”

“How about common decency? You don’t text someone a list of their issues.”

“I figured you of all people would appreciate that. I mean, you did have a list of rules I had to follow when we were together. Lists are kind of your thing. It’s you and your rules above all else.”

“Really?” I whimper, hating how weak I sound. Am I really that bad? Jake accuses me of the same thing every chance he gets.

Ian sighs and closes the menu. “Look, I’m sorry for the way things ended. I just couldn’t stand one more minute failing to live up to your expectations.”

“That’s why you left?” And cheated? And sent me a list of things I did wrong?

“There’s no wiggle room with you. It’s on all the time.” He snaps his fingers several times to demonstrate his point. I debate grabbing the coffeepot to prove mine. “No one can measure up to Kayla Riggs’ expectations. Not even you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Forget I said anything.” The dick. Of course, he’d cower. That’s Ian Hornsby in a nutshell. He never could stand up to me. He never could hold his own when we fought—which was all the time. “Can I just get that coffee?”

“Of course.” I force a smile and offer a curt nod. Alfonse would have my ass if I dump scalding hot coffee on a customer, even if said customer totally deserves it. After I fill his cup, I smile sweetly. “Anything else?”

“Truce?” He lifts his mug. Why would I want a truce with this mouth-breather? Yet, as he grins, I find myself smiling as I raise my own coffee cup. “Life is too short to hold in so much resentment.”

He’s right. I can’t spend the rest of my life hating someone I care so little about. “I guess I was just in shock that we’d use a text to break up, let alone having you send me a list of things I need to fix if I want to keep a guy. I can’t resent you forever.”

He loses his smile. “I was talking about resenting yourself. You resent me?” He sounds so offended. “For telling you the truth on how to improve yourself?”

“The truth? Improve myself?” It’s my turn to lose the smile. “Ian, you told me I needed to wear tighter shirts. How’s that going to improve myself?”

His gaze lands on my chest and stays there. “It couldn’t hurt.”

“You’re an asshole.” I ready the coffeepot. “Are there any other bullshit things you’d like to improve on me? Shorter skirts, maybe?”

“That was somewhere in the thirties on the list.”

“You are not allowed to have more things on your list than years you’ve been alive,” I repeat Jake’s words and stop myself before gasping at quoting someone like him to someone like Ian. Who knew I’d ever cite the current boyfriend to the ex-boyfriend?

“Says who?”

“Says me.” Jake has somehow snuck into the diner and saunters up to the counter, taking a seat next to Ian even though there are several open seats. Instead of acknowledging Ian, he flashes me that dazzling smile and I’m a little numb as a result. “Hey, babe. Considering your reaction to that statement when we were moving boxes into our apartment, I didn’t think I’d ever hear you use that on anyone else.”

“Your apartment? As in…” Ian trails off and darts his attention between us before holding it to me. “Did you move in with this guy? No, I know you. Living with a guy before you get married wasn’t on your list.”

“We got an apartment together,” Jake explains and offers his hand. “This guy’s name is Jake Swanson.”

Ian bounces his gaze to Jake’s hand, to me, to Jake’s still expression, and finally back to me. “This is Jake? Un-fucking-believable. You wouldn’t stay the night at my place—your boyfriend—yet you moved in with the one guy you’ll never matter to.”

I suck in a breath at how hard that insult hits. It’s what I’ve always thought, always feared. Jake is one of the beautiful people. I’m, well, not. He’ll never see me for more than a default bootie call, and I hate myself for accepting that.

Jake takes Ian’s hand and squeezes. Ian whimpers and tries several times before Jake allows him to take his hand back. “You must be Ian Hornsbutt.”

“Hornsby.”

“Whatever.” Jake wipes his hand on a napkin. “Let me give you a little tip, Ian. Digging at your ex in an attempt to feel better about yourself only makes you look even more pathetic than you already are.”

“Who are you to talk to me like that?”

Jake takes Ian’s coffee and slurps as something defiant shines in his eyes. He’s enjoying the hell out of this. “I’m the guy who thinks she matters most.”

I love you. I mean, I hate him most of the time, but right now? I love him for putting Ian in his little weasel-dick place.

Without a word, Ian stands, spins on his designer boots, and marches out of the diner. I can’t stop smiling as Jake faces me, a wide grin brightening up his expression. “That was Ian, eh?”

“That was Ian.” I wipe down the counter between us to avoid his gaze. My cheeks are on fire all the sudden. I can’t tell if I’m embarrassed or turned on over what just happened. Maybe a little both. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m meeting Sean and Eli for breakfast before shift. Figured if I got here a few minutes early, I’d get to spend them with you before they got here. I didn’t know you’d already have company.” He cups the mug in his hands and stares at the steaming liquid. Clearly, I’m not the only one avoiding eye contact. “Why were you talking to your ex-boyfriend?”

I don’t miss the jealousy in his tone and I must admit, I don’t hate it. I never thought Jake would be jealous of any of my exes. Not in a million years. “Trust me, it’s not like I wanted to. He came into the diner and sat at the counter.”

“Does he come in here a lot?”

“That’s the first time since we broke up. I haven’t seen him in months.”

He nods and glances over his shoulder toward the door. “Interesting timing. He decides to pay you a visit now that you’re off the market.”

“I am?” My voice comes out an octave higher than I expect.

“As am I.” He spins on the stool as Sean and Eli walk into the diner and, without another word, joins them at a corner booth.

I watch him walk away, licking my lips at the sight. Why the hell does he always have to look so good that I want to take him into the back cooler? I’ve seen him naked, so seeing him fully clothed shouldn’t be that big of a deal. Oh, but seeing him right now, that T-shirt tight on his massive shoulders, has my mouth watering.

Still stunned from his comment, I grab the coffee pot, knowing the three of them well enough to know they’ll need their caffeine. Jake had a nice wakeup call with our kitchen sex, but I’m not sure about the other two. In fact, I don’t want to know if they had their own orgasm-of-the-day. It would be weird to know that much about the customers.

Since Jake has suddenly transformed into the casual diner patron, I slip into the role of waitress. “Good morning, guys. Can I get you anything else to drink other than coffee?”

“Water,” Jake grumbles. He doesn’t sound in the best of moods, which is weird. He seemed fine a minute ago.

“Anything else?”

He regards me without an ounce of recognition in his dark gaze. Gone is the jealous boyfriend from earlier and for some reason, it bothers me. “Just water.”

I’m frozen in shock as I can only blink. He sounds so normal. No underlying tone that there’s anything more between us than sharing an address. No protective guy trying to establish dominance or mark his territory like with Ian. No wicked glimmer in his eyes as he looks at me like he did this morning in the kitchen, like he can’t wait to devour me.

In fact, he’s impartial. Like I’m nothing more than a roommate. Good. Great. At least I don’t have to worry about it getting weird between us. This is my work. Why is it bothering me so much that he won’t even give me a hint of a smile now that he’s with his friends? He couldn’t wait to put Ian in his place. What happened to him being the guy who thinks I matter most?

Jesus, Kayla. Get the hell over it. We’re roommates, not soul mates. He simply said whatever it took to get under Ian’s skin. Well, fine. I can accept that. I have no choice in the matter. Doesn’t mean I have to like it. In fact, I don’t. I kind of want to cut him right now.

“Since I know what Jake wants…” He narrows his eyes at me and I smile sweetly before turning my attention on the other two. “How about the rest of you?”

Sean grins at me. He’s the flirt of the group. Then again, Jake can flirt his way right into my pants. Well, not right now he can’t, and he’ll never get into them again if he doesn’t have a good reason for blowing me off in front of his friends. “Is it Southern home fries and hash on the menu?”

“Is today Monday?” I’m shocked I don’t use Alfonse’s accent as his words fly right out of my mouth. The grammatically correct way to say it, anyway.

His grin widens. “Are you on the menu?”

That comment catches Jake’s attention. He finally pulls his gaze from the menu and glares at Sean. “Seriously?”

Sean’s grin widens. “What’d I say?”

“Not every girl wants to sleep with you just because you compliment her smile. Especially this girl.”

“What crawled up your ass, dude?”

“Yeah,” Eli speaks up. “It’s not like you’ve got dibs on…” He narrows his eyes and reads the nameplate pinned to my uniform. “Kayla.” The instant he says my name, his expression falls slack. “Oh, shit.”

“This is Kayla?” Sean asks Jake and points at me. He gives me a slow once over and turns back to Jake. “You banged our waitress?”

“Wait,” Eli joins in. He does a couple double takes between Jake and me before landing his gaze on me. “Jake tells me you want an orgasm every morning. You’ve got to be the best roommate ever. If he falls down on the job, give me a call.”

Oh my God. Kill me now. I ignore the burn in my cheeks and widen my eyes at Jake. My heart pounds in my chest, I’m that pissed. “Did you also tell them I have a tattoo on my ass?”

“That is so hot.” Sean winks at me and I’m ready to take out one of his eyes with his fork. Who does he think he is winking at me like flirting will get him anything but a slap across the face and one less eye?

Alfonse slaps the bell to announce another order up. Thank God. I spin and storm off before I stab them all with their cutlery.

“You never took our order,” Eli points out.

“You’ll get what I bring you,” I toss back.

“And I’m sure we’ll love it,” Sean, clearly looking to earn brownie points, calls after me.

As much as I want to order them something nasty like liver and make them suffer through it, I’m too much of a chicken. Instead, I order three specials and drop the ticket. After delivering another round of breakfast to a table, I duck behind the little hideout where the waitresses collect the food. Alfonse catches me flattened out against the wall, trying to disappear into the grease-covered woodwork as I eavesdrop on Jake and his friends.

“Miss Kayla, who you be spying on?”

I shush him and pick up on their conversation.

Eli’s voice catches my attention first. “So, let me get this straight. You slept with her? You didn’t say that Kayla was this Kayla.”

“It’s not that popular of a name,” Jake defends. “I figured you’d put the pieces together on your own.”

“It’s a totally popular name. I have like four Kayla’s in my economics class alone,” Sean points out. “In fact, she’s one of them, I think.”

He’s right, and now I’m mortified to go to class today and see him.

“Can we just drop it? I didn’t tell you guys to have you make a big deal out of it.”

“Then why tell us?” Eli asks. “Dude, you had to know we’d be all over you about it.”

“You don’t give a shit when I tell you about any of the other girls.”

“That’s because we can’t keep track of them all.” Sean laughs, and Eli joins in.

My cell buzzes and I pull it out of my pocket, not really caring who’s texting me, only that someone is. It’s something to keep me distracted. It’s Emma and I smile.

Did you do your neighbor this morning?

Jesus, did Jake broadcast it over the radio? I hesitate before responding without answering. Hello to you, too.

I’m coming in. We need to talk.

Shit. I don’t want Emma here, especially with Jake around. She’s made it no secret how she feels about him. He’s a player and proud of it. She absolutely hates players and has a way of putting them in their place. Knowing her, she’ll bring Britt and then we’ll really have a party. Britt has a bigger mouth than Emma.

“Miss Kayla?” Alfonse catches my attention and I move to the little opening with the shelf where he sets the food for me to deliver. “It not be like you to mess up an egg order.”

“What are you talking about? I didn’t mess up any order.” I take great pride in the accuracy of my orders.

“Eli always orders scrambled. Wit Sean it be over-medium. Jake wants poached and never orders da special.”

It never ceases to amaze me that, after decades of years in business, Alfonse still has the uncanny ability to remember most customers’ preferences. And each customer by name. “I sort of didn’t ask them, so technically, I didn’t mess up.”

Alfonse stops flipping his big metal spatula and zeroes in on me. “You not be telling da customers what to eat, cher. You lucky I save you dis time.”

“I’m sorry, Alfonse.” I hate getting reprimanded. It always makes me feel like a child. “Jake makes me crazy. I wasn’t thinking.”

“Same Jake, eh? Da same boy who be driving you crazy for da past six months?”

I hate I’m that transparent, especially to my boss. My cheeks burn as I chew on my bottom lip. “That’s the one.”

“Why he be driving you crazy dis time?”

I’d rather not confide in him, but since my group of friends are all in class and Emma isn’t here yet, I can’t stop myself as I blurt out, “He’s treating me like I’m a nobody when just this morning we…” I stop myself and wait to see if he picks it up without me saying it.

He doesn’t. “Wat happened dis mornin’?”

“We, you know.” God, please don’t make me say it.

His eyes round. “Oh, dat. You stay wit him last night?”

“We’re sort of living together now.”

Again, he stops flipping food with the spatula and looks at me. “You go from driving you crazy to living together?” He shakes his head. “He definitely be driving you crazy.”