Chapter 27
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Nell
I sigh as I place the stack of boxes on the counter, ready to be opened and put on the shelves.
A new delivery came in today, from an author who signed with us to sell her new release. She even autographed each book, which is an added bonus for any dark MC reader.
It has been two weeks since I flew home from my equally amazing and heartbreaking trip to Hawaii.
My phone has been silent from any calls or texts from Romeo. I unblocked him a few days later, my curiosity getting the better of me, but he has not tried to contact me.
It is disheartening that I mean nothing to him but at the same time, I had some amazing times that my heart and soul will cherish for as long as I live.
“Bitch, come on, I am wasting away,” Simone calls as she enters the bookstore side of Comfort Cup.
“I am coming; shut ya trap, woman.” I roll my eyes at her.
Making sure that the boxes will not fall over while reaching under the counter, I collect my purse and sling it over my body. She walks back to the door, and I wave to my parents as I follow her.
“I need food. STAT. My stomach is eating itself,” she says, linking her arm with mine as we walk down the street to the food truck that we plan on ordering from today.
There is a food truck day once a month when the local town square fills with food trucks that supply all different cuisines.
“Same. My appetite has not been much this last few days, but I woke up today starving.”
“Good. You cannot let a man, as hot as he is, make you starve yourself.”
I nod to her in agreement. “I know.”
We arrive at the rows of food trucks, my stomach growling in hunger. The aroma that is in the air makes my mouth water, just like it did in Hawaii. Damn, I miss him.
My chest aches from not seeing him.
It just confirms what I thought— it was all a game to him. Maybe a way to make Daniella jealous. Believe me, I have tortured myself for the past fourteen days over why he did it.
“I think I am going to try the French truck; it smells amazing. What about you?” Simmy asks.
I look around and take in all the different styles of food.
“I think I will have some brisket and cowboy beans.” My mouth waters just thinking about it.
“Okay, meet you over by the seating area once you get yours.” I nod to her, and we part ways to get our food.
Once I order, I stand back, looking around the area. People are enjoying the food, talking, enjoying their time before moving on to go back to work, or whatever they have planned for the day.
It takes me back to how relaxed I felt in Hawaii, making my stomach feel uneasy. Shaking it off, I can’t keep letting myself feel like this. Romeo De Massy is a memory, one that I both want to forget but also keep a hold of for future reference.
My name is called and I collect my order, then make my way over to Simone, who has grabbed us a table. Placing my tray on the table, I giggle seeing Simone digging into her food already.
“Don’t fucking laugh at me, I am starving. I worked through my regular lunch hours because some snobby daddy’s little boy fucked up his job,” she gripes around a mouthful of food.
“Such a lady, Sim.” I laugh.
She flips me off, and her eyes roll into the back of her head when she takes another bite of her food.
“Damn, this is good. Almost better than sex.” She moans.
A table of men next to us all stop what they are doing and look to her, each of them with their mouths open, as she seductively moans while eating.
“Sim, you are giving the men a show to go with their dinner.”
Simone stops chewing and looks in their direction, mischief filling her gaze. I groan inwardly, knowing that she is going to do something that will either piss them off, or make them uncomfortable.
“Like what you see, boys?” she asks them.
The one with his ball cap on backwards and arms full of tattoos grins.
“Definitely, babe.”
She scoffs, cocking a brow at him. “I will give you this ‘babe’ since you do not know my name, but, baby, I like what I see, too.”
My gaze snaps to hers, my mouth wide open. What the fuck? I was expecting her to bitch them out for staring but clearly, she does, in fact, like what she sees.
“Unfortunately for you, my girl needs me today for some girl time after some schmuck broke her heart. You would never do that, would you…?” she explains and presses for his name.
He shakes his head, a smirk in place.
“Never.” His gaze moves to me. “Give me a name and I’ll make him hurt for you, darlin’.”
Licking my lips, he moves his gaze back to Simone, which shocks me and also pleases me. He is not interested in me, so he is giving her all of his attention.
“It is okay, but thank you.” My voice is low, my heart aching in my chest.
He gives me his eyes again, and I see genuine concern looking back at me.
Pushing to his feet, his friends follow, and when he steps to our table, Simone sits straighter. I look between my bestie and this new stranger, who is freaking hot, by the way.
He is dressed in faded, stained jeans with black boots that have seen better days, and a hoodie with some kind of garage logo on it.
He writes something on an unused napkin, before setting it on the table, pushing it toward Simone.
“Call me. I’m Tristan. Your name, beautiful?” his voice is gruff and it sends shivers through me.
Freaking hell, who is this guy?
My best friend just looks at him, her mouth gaping open, acting like I have never seen before. I slap her arm to pull her back out of her sex-craved mind because I know that is where she was just now.
“Her name is Simone,” I answer for her.
“Fuck,” she mutters, blinking and then looking at me with a ‘what the fuck’ look on her face.
I shrug.
Tristan chuckles, and I see my friend’s body tremble. Oh hell, this man is a perfect match for her.
“A beautiful name for a beautiful woman. Call me.” He winks and follows after his friends.
We watch as he walks off and then I turn back to my friend, slapping her arm again.
“What the fuck was that? I have never seen you like that with a man before. You are the one winking and eating them up.”
“I know.” She buries her face in her hands and takes a deep breath. “Damn, did you see his eyes? One of each color.” She sighs, looking in the direction he went.
“He got to you in ten seconds.” I giggle, making her blush, which again is not something she does. “Are you going to call him?”
“Maybe.” She looks back to me and shakes her head. “We are here to talk about you, not me. How are you doing? Any word?”
And just like that, she has turned the tables on me.
“I am okay. There is no need to keep crying over something that was fake from the start. And no, I have not heard from him, and I honestly do not expect to. It is time that I move on and forget all about him, Sim.”
“Good. No man is worth crying over.”
I nod my head behind me. “Even the hot Tristan?”
She throws a piece of bread at me, making me laugh loudly, and it feels good.
My soul brightens.
Each day that passes, I let go of him more, and it is silly to think that I only knew him for less than a month. I have to guess that Romeo De Massy has that effect on all woman.
“Even the hot Tristan, but damn, I bet that man could bring tears to my eyes with very intense orgasms,” she says in a wistful tone.
“Well, you will have to call him and arrange a meet up then, won’t you?”
“Maybe I will. But are you sure you are okay, no lingering feelings for him?”
I sigh and take a sip of my drink. It was rough the first few days: I cried a lot, and ate my weight in ice cream, so that was a fucking lot of ice cream to get through.
Dark romance books were my besties also; they helped me through, especially one where the ex-boyfriend got killed by the new hot boyfriend.
Here I am two weeks later, with not one single signal from him, so I know this is a final goodbye; no point wallowing in it.
“I promise you, I am okay. I miss him, yes, or maybe it is the thought of him. He made me fall in love with love again, so in turn he did help me out. I am not sure what I will do if I ever see him again, maybe pray that the ground will split open and swallow me whole,” I joke.
Simone smiles with me, her concern clear with her frown.
“I will cut his balls off if I see him again.”
“Please don’t, they were nice balls.” I wink at her, making her spit out her mouthful of food.
I laugh, full head thrown back laughing at her reaction; then she joins in and just like that, my soul sparkles once more.