19. Chapter 19
LUNA
“What the fuck is your problem?” The words slip out before I can stop them. For a second, I’m convinced I’ve lost the plot, but then again. Surly Bastard has done nothing but continue to push me over the edge, and for the second time, I’ve reached a breaking point.
I don’t hold back, so once the words leave my mouth, I make sure to stand tall, refusing to let his lanky size and scary demeanour intimidate me.
“Excuse me?” he scoffs, spinning on his heel to face me.
“I said, What the hell is your problem?” I repeat, snapping my hands on my hips, straightening my spine as he lurks towards me.
“I don’t believe that’s the word you said the first time,” he corrects me in a smug tone.
“Fine, I said, what the fuck is your problem?” I snap, but he merely raises his eyebrows at me, so I take that as my chance to elaborate.
“You have been walking around like a grumpy bastard all week, glaring at me like I murdered your next of kin, and when I’m trying to converse with you because Theo asked if he can join my family and I for dinner tomorrow, and you’re treating me like shit on the bottom of your shoe, so I repeat What the fuck is your problem, you Surly Bastard of a man?
” I declare proudly, puffing out my chest and perking up on my tiptoes to assert my authority, although it seems to do nothing to compare to his superhero size.
“Did I make that clear enough? Repeating it a third time?” I add.
He remains silent; he just stands there, glaring down at me, letting the anger flow through his nostrils.
I choose to ignore how the closeness between us increases and what that does to my heart rate, as if swearing at my employer wasn’t doing enough.
“I don’t think you have the right to be angry right now, nor should you be using inappropriate language to the person who signs your paycheck,” he growls, snarling at me like a rabid bear.
I shut my eyes for a breather; when I open them again…
I notice his gaze on my lips, but only for a moment; I know I saw wrong.
“I have every right to voice my opinions if I feel my boss is mistreating me for no reason. I believe that is on page eight of my contract.” I shove back at him, tipping my nose up, ignoring the ache in my neck from the staring battle with this giant.
Something flickers in his eyes at my quotation of the contract.
Probably because, as far as he’s aware, I haven’t even read it, but after his childish behaviour this week, I did my reading, and I’m fully aware of my limits.
I’m choosing to bask in the dumbfounded look on his face, but quickly become startled once his snarl grows deeper.
“I believe if anyone is in breach of their commitments, it’s you, Miss Jackson.
Now, allow me to be the mature one and walk away, before we both say something we regret,” he retorts, looking at me up and down, then turning, but the same red-hot anger that has been brewing inside me all week doesn’t let him get more than five feet away.
“Mature? You think stomping around the house like a spoiled brat and glaring at people for no good reason is a sense of maturity? Don’t make me laugh.
” I scoff, watching the muscles in his back tense.
The deep sigh he releases sucks all the air in the room, making it impossible to prepare for the incoming wrath.
“Don’t you dare question me. I could fire you right now and kick you out on the street for your behaviour,” he bellows, shoving his index finger at me. He doesn’t allow me to get a word in and continues.
“What behaviour”? I huff in disbelief. He’s trying to call me out for nonsense.
“You think I don’t know where you took my child last weekend?
That you have the fucking right to judge me, when you think it’s appropriate to teach my child that it’s okay to be a homewrecker so long as he gets to run around with other children,” he yells, towering over, at first, I maintain my defensive stance, but after I register what he just said, I couldn’t be more confused.
Heh?
“W-what are you talking about?!” I ask, dumbfounded.
“Don’t play dumb. I know all about your relationship with Randall,” he snarls, sounding as if saying Randall’s name caused his physical pain.
Wait, Randall?
What does he have to do with this? But luckily, I don’t have to wait too long to find out.
“I know all about you taking my son to see a married man with an infinite number of offspring.”
“Tell me, what is it with a woman like you? Do you get some sick joy in-” sadly, he doesn’t get to finish his sentence because I stagger backwards, using the back of the sofa as support and burst into laughter.
Air struggles to reach my lungs fast enough, and I’m barely able to see the startled look on Surly Bastard’s face as he takes a step back when tears start forming in my eyes.
OH MY GOD!
All this time, he thought I-
That I took Theo to-
Oh god, I can’t b-breathe.
Minutes pass, yet my laughter doesn’t subside; in fact, it only increases every time I look up at the dumb look on his face. I flash back to the time Macy told me about the constipated look he had when he thought he insulted her. It’s the same one, and it’s even better than I imagined.
Better than allowing oxygen into my lungs.
“You thought I was a mis-” I try to say, but instead clutch my stomach to counteract the cramps of laughing too long. If this is how I die, what a way to go. After hearing something so ridiculous, it literally sucked the wind right out of me.
“What the fuck is so funny?” he yells, after watching me laugh for five minutes straight, finally snapping out of his gaze, crossing his arms across his chest.
“You-” I wince from cramps, straightening up to walk around the sofa and to try to speak.
“I’m-” but I can’t do it. Instead, I fall into an Asian squat, heaving with laughter and clutching the arm of the sofa.
“Would you stop laughing and explain yourself?” Surly Bastard grumbles, stepping towards me again, growing more irritated with each second, but I can’t stop. It isn’t until he yells.
“Stop laughing!” he roars, approaching the verge of passing out. I release the grip on my stomach and plant my hands in front of me, collecting a few deep breaths.
“Well??” he asks, impatiently, while I fight the urge to start laughing all over again.
“I’m-” I huff out, flicking my hair back, staring up at him.
“I-I’m single, you twat.” I breathe out, bringing my hands to my knees and slowly bringing myself to stand.
I expect him to retaliate after what I just called him, but instead, he furrows his eyebrows in confusion. I take another deep breath and still rely on the sofa for support.
“I don’t know where you’re getting your information, but I am very much single, and if you just asked, I would have gladly told you that the place I took Theo last week is the same place I went today.
Not a man’s house, but a care home for orphans and children in need of fostering.
” I reveal, now standing straight, but Surly Bastard looks as if he’s in the movie Click and has been put on pause.
“Randall, the man you are so concerned about, is a good friend of mine who works at said care home and not that it’s any of your business, but he’s been happily married to his husband for the past eight years,” I add, shaking my head, watching the smoke escape from his ears as the dots start to connect.
“I can’t believe you thought-” I giggle, biting my fist to stop myself from laughing.
“A mistress? Me?” The urge becomes too strong; I start laughing again to the point my chest heaves, and the glare Surly Bastard gives me once he recovers from his wrongful accusation only makes it worse.
“I’ve never met someone who thought being accused of being a mistress was funny,” he grumbles, watching me laugh with joy.
“It’s bloody hilarious!” I wheeze out. “And it just proves the fact you know nothing about me; otherwise, an adulterer would be the last thing you’d accuse me of being.” I cackle, wiping my eyes, crawling my way to sit on the sofa.
“It wasn’t that funny, and would you stop laughing already? I don’t fancy spending all night in A I start seeing spots while letting out staggering breaths until I notice Surly Bastard return and shove a bottle of water in my hand, then take a seat on the coffee table in front of me.
“Drink this and pipe down. If you keep laughing, every fox in the area will think you’re calling them to mate,” he slips out with a scowl, when I spit out the water I’m trying to drink to laugh yet again.
Surly Bastard is lucky to dodge the mouthful of water that goes spraying over the carpet.
“Oh my god, did ‘the Oliver Walters’ just make a joke?” I gasp, choking on the part of water that was trying to make it down my throat.
What the hell is happening right now?
I ask myself as Oliver confiscates my water, probably afraid it will end up on him next, then he throws his handkerchief in my lap. I didn’t even know people still carried those anymore.
Accepting it with a nod, I use it to wipe my mouth and mention that tomorrow I will get it and the carpet cleaned, when, for I think it is the first ever, Surly Bastard and I fall into a comfortable silence.
No tension, no glares or awkward clearing of throats to break up the negative aura in the room, just my wheezing breaths filling the space. We both sit in silence, me on the sofa with my legs underneath me and me still able to tower over me even though he’s sitting down.
“W-what were you asking about Theo earlier?” Surly Bastard asks, breaking the silence first, whilst I try not to giggle at the fact that he’s acting like he didn’t accuse me of being a cheating cow a few minutes ago.
Honestly, that shit is too funny.