Free Misunderstandings by Tiffany King Page A

time.
    “Yeah, me too. I wonder if that asshole Rob even knows we’re stuck in here. He’s probably eating lunch as we speak,” Justin complained, glancing at his phone. “Still no damn signal. I freaking hate elevators!”
    “Now you sound like me,” I said, digging through my purse in a vain effort to find something edible. I struck gold when my hand closed around the cereal bar I had gotten at the airport earlier. Digging farther, I found the small bag of nuts they gave me on the plane. “You wanna eat my nuts?” I askedin an attempt to lighten the mood. He sat for a moment without looking up. “Come on. You know you want to eat my nuts,” I said, pulling the small bag from my purse and holding it out. “That’s it. Grab my nuts,” I teased, causing the corners of his mouth to rise into a smile.
    “Thanks,” he said grudgingly.
    “Sure,” I smiled, remembering how much he loved peanuts.
    “How did Rob talk you into coming to his office if you hate elevators so much?”
    “He told me he wanted to talk about an engagement surprise he had planned for Melissa. He swore me to secrecy. As far as Melissa is concerned, my plane isn’t supposed to land for several more hours,” I sighed. I still wasn’t pleased that a trusted friend had lied and tricked me.
    “I bet she’s excited you’ll be here for the party,” he said in a voice absent from the earlier hostility.
    “Yeah, she was happy when I finally caved,” I answered. I instantly regretted my words, knowing I had given too much away.
    “Caved? You mean you didn’t want to come to your best friend’s engagement party?” he asked, raising the eyebrow that had once been pierced.
    “When did you take out your eyebrow ring?” I asked, avoiding his question.
    “Two years ago. I decided it was time for a change,” he answered as the hostility returned to his voice. That was definitely another dagger meant for me.
    I kept my head down rather than take the bait. Of coursehis words hurt, but I’d be damned if I was going to let him see that.
    “Well? You said ‘caved.’ Does that mean I was almost spared the pleasure of seeing you again?” he asked sarcastically.
    “I can’t remember; were you always such a dick?” I asked, matching his tone.
    “Honey, I didn’t become a dick until you lied to me and took something from me without even giving it a second thought. You and your goddamn secrets!” he snapped in a raised voice.
    “They were my secrets—MINE,” I yelled. I was sick of fighting a battle with him I would never win.
    “That’s horseshit. I deserved to know. God, the fact you don’t get that makes me sick. I wish I had never talked to you that day,” he snarled, turning away in disgust.
    “That makes two of us,” I lied as my weakly mended heart broke into pieces.

10.
    November 2010
    “So, this is your rodeo. Where to?” Justin asked as we climbed into his jeep.
    “Well, since this is a second date and I’m not entirely sure how those are supposed to go, I thought we’d hit one of my favorite places.”
    “Puget Sound?” he asked, merging into traffic.
    “You definitely win brownie points for paying attention,” I commented. “No wonder all the girls like you.”
    “You can thank my mom for that. I think she was afraid I’d turn out like my dad, so she preached the whole respecting-women thing. She has nothing to fear, though. Travis and I would never turn out like him. Travis is too soft-spoken toever raise his voice to anyone, let alone a girl. And, me—I don’t know, I think maybe growing up and seeing the way my dad treated my mom, I always felt in my gut it was wrong. That girls shouldn’t be treated that way. Does that sound weird?”
    “What if the girl was a total bitch?” I inquired, messing with him.
    “I wouldn’t rise to the bait. I’m a lover, not a fighter.”
    “What if she keyed your jeep and slept with your best friend?”
    “You have a thing for Rob?” he asked, raising his eyebrow