He Asked Me Out to Get Back at Her, I Gave Him a Rulebook Instead Chapter 04

He Asked Me Out to Get Back at Her, I Gave Him a Rulebook Instead Chapter 04

[Wait, is she about to reject hit AGAIN? In front of the FMC?? His ego can’t take that. No wonder he won’t -forgive her later when she tries to come back.]

My jaw tightened.

Ronan caught my expression and tensed. He thought I was about to shut him out again.

The floating comments were right. He was running out of patience.

I looked at him, really looked. That jaw, those eyes. Fine. He was beautiful enough to earn a little more

patience.

Vivienne strolled over like it was nothing, but her eyes went straight to Rònan. “Oh, wow. Picking up your girlfriend?”

She didn’t buy it for a second. She knew he’d been lying to his friends, calling me his girlfriend to save face.

I wasn’t about to blow his cover.

Instead, I went up on my toes and pressed my lips to his cheek. His whole body went still.

He smelled good, something warm and woodsy. He’d chosen well, whether he knew it or not.

I kept my voice soft. “The restaurant’s not my thing. But whatever you’re wearing right now? I love it.”

I reached up and straightened his tie.

“A lot.”

The tips of his ears went pink.

I held out my hand. Ronan grabbed it without hesitating, then threw Vivienne a look that said I win.

“Funny how that works,” he said. “Every time I come to get my girl, there you are. Weird luck.”

Ronan ran his mouth the way most people breathed, and the meaner he got, the more he actually cared.

The floating comments said he’d keep picking these stupid fights with Vivienne. And that eventually, he’d fall for her completely.

I dropped his hand. “I wasn’t asking you to hold my hand. I want your phone.”

Rule twelve: Phone access, anytime, no questions asked.

The comments scrolled in.

[He stayed up all night deleting messages from the group chat. Every last one.]

[She can scroll all she wants. There’s nothing left to find.]

Ronan didn’t even hesitate He pulled out his phone and placed it in my hand.

He was smirking while I scrolled. “Go ahead. Check whatever you want.”

Vivienne watched the whole thing, visibly thrown.

Since when did Ronan let anyone touch his phone?

She’d seen enough. She smiled, tight and practiced, and looped her arm through Landon’s. He’d just walked

up, perfect timing.

“Let’s go.”

Ronan rubbed his jaw, confused. He had no idea why Vivienne had looked so pissed.

Part of him still cringed that Vivienne had watched the whole phone inspection.

But it beat the three-day silent treatments.

He squared his shoulders. “So? Clean, right? Tell me I passed.”

I handed the phone back with a nod. “By the way, I deleted every girl your age from your contacts.” I tilted my head. “You don’t mind, right, baby?”

“What?”

His voice cracked half an octave higher.

“You…”

He almost asked about Vivienne. She was technically a year older, but close enough to qualify. Then rule one

hit him.

Don’t mention another woman.

His jaw snapped shut.

“I don’t mind.”

He’d fought too hard to get here. He wasn’t about to blow it now.

I didn’t push it. I just nodded toward the car.

“Come on. Let’s go to your restaurant.”

He blinked. “I thought you hated fine dining.”

I looked up at him. “You made the reservation. I didn’t want your effort to go to waste.”

His hand stalled on the car door.

He pressed his lips together.

The drive was quiet.

Then, without looking at me, “What do you actually like to eat? I’ll pick somewhere better next time.”

The floating comments chattered away.

[The MMC is SO easy to manage. One compliment and he’s glowing. He doesn’t even realize he’s smiling.]

[Too bad his friends don’t buy any of it. They keep pushing him to bring her around. What happens to her next is so messed up.]

[Dor ‘t let the puppy act fool you. Next week there’s a party: truth of dare. He gets dared to kiss a girl for one minute. Guess who he picks? Not her. The FMC. And she has to watch.]

My smile dropped. One week. That’s all the time I had before he humiliated me?

That was enough.

Whatever came next, I wouldn’t be the one left standing with nothing.

I started listing dishes. One after another, taking my time.

Then I turned to him, all innocence. “I want to try everything. Cajun, barbecue, Tex-Mex, New England. Can you send me something different every day?”

“And if my boyfriend made it himself…” I let the sentence hang.

“Done!” Ronan cut in before I could finish. “I’ll get my chefs on it. Trust me, they’re way better than I am.”

I let my face fall, just a little. “Oh. Okay then.”