Free Tuesday (Timeless Series #2) by E. L. Todd Page B

like yours?” Kyle asked.
    “It’s good. Yours?”
    He stabbed his fork into one of my meatballs then ate it. “Delicious.”
    I took a piece of his chicken and ate it. “Hmm…pretty good.”
    “How about we split our food half and half?” Kyle grabbed his plate and prepared to switch them.
    I was immediately taken back to my first date with Hawke. The night had gone in a similar way, and we swapped our food like we’d been together for years. Seeing Kyle do something so similar just made me nauseous. “No, I’m okay.” I pulled my plate back toward me and kept my eyes downcast.
    Marie gave me a questioning look.
    I ignored her and kept eating.

Wrong Turn
    Hawke
    I was such a shithead.
    Why the hell did Renee have to forget her wallet? Why did she have to stand by my door with day-old make up on her face and messy hair? It was so obvious she spent the night.
    I didn’t want Francesca to see that.
    She was seeing some guy and that severed my heart into infinite pieces. Knowing she was with someone else…kissed someone else…made me sick. I had no right to feel that way. After all, I ended our relationship. I turned my back on her and left without a backward glance. We were madly in love and happy…but I threw it away.
    I had no right to be upset about it.
    The thing that hurt the most was her reaction. Francesca didn’t care in the least. She walked into my apartment like nothing happened. Renee’s presence didn’t affect her at all. She examined my apartment and furniture and complimented the way it looked.
    She really was over me.
    I didn’t want her to be hurt over Renee. I wasn’t a sadist. But I would be lying if I said I didn’t want her to care.
    Because I cared .
    ***
    After my evening boxing lesson, I met Axel for a drink. We got together throughout the week, playing basketball or drinking our problems away. I thought our relationship might change when he got engaged, and I was surprised it hadn’t. He didn’t spend all his time with Marie, which was unexpected.
    If I had a fiancée, I’d be with her all the time.
    “How was your workout?” Axel asked as he drank his beer.
    “Fine.” I was angrier than usual, so I was grateful I had a punching bag to take it out on. My coach asked if there was something on my mind, but I lied and said everything was just fine.
    Axel started talking about the office and the portfolio he was working on. “Dude, you’re smart for opening your business. I hate having a boss.”
    “Then do it.”
    “It’s not so easy…” He shook his head and looked around the bar. “I wish I’d inherited something from my dad but I didn’t get anything except his old tools and Chevy.”
    What? Was I missing something? “Sorry?”
    “Oh.” He shook his head like he realized his mistake. “Francesca’s boyfriend inherited a law firm. Now he runs it and pretty much does whatever the hell he wants. He even…” Axel continued talking but his words came out as a blur.
    She had a boyfriend?
    So, that guy she was seeing wasn’t casual?
    She actually had a relationship with him?
    Did she love him?
    Did they talk about marriage?
    “I know jealousy is an ugly color, but I’m totally jealous,” Axel continued. “I’m all about working hard for things that you want but it would be nice to just be handed something for once, you know.”
    I didn’t listen to a word he said. Someone stabbed a kitchen knife through my chest, and I was bleeding all over the place. This shouldn’t bother me. I knew this would happen eventually. She was too damn perfect not to be chased after. I knew she would see other guys and eventually fall in love again but…I guess I didn’t prepare myself for reality. “He’s a lawyer?”
    “Yeah,” Axel answered. “I don’t know what kind. I didn’t get a chance to ask because Frankie didn’t want me to ‘interrogate’ him.” He rolled his eyes. “She’s a drama queen, I swear.”
    “So, do you like him?” I hoped he was a loser