Falling for the Bully Read online

  Chapter Two

  Max wanted to go and take Aria home, but he’d made a point of sitting in Trey’s tattoo parlor to prove to himself he’d not gotten an obsession. However, he wanted to make sure she got home okay, and the only way to do that was to go and be with her.

  Dale and Trey were laughing over some joke and he’d missed half of it, so he was pretending to get it, when in truth, he wanted to walk Aria home.

  When had he gotten so pussy-whipped?

  The bell above Trey’s door rang out, and Max turned to see both Molly and June entering.

  They all had a cooing moment over the baby, but he was more interested in what Aria was doing.

  Not that he hated kids. He didn’t. He loved kids a lot. In recent months, he’d even considered having a family of his own, and yes, that was certainly not a direction he ever thought he’d be taking.

  “Where’s Aria?” he asked, cutting through all their bullshit conversation. He was tired of pretending not to be interested. He wanted to know where Aria was so he could make sure she was okay.

  Their conversation this morning hadn’t sat well with him, and well, now, he wanted to make sure she was fine.

  June smiled. “She’s on a date. I already got a text to say she arrived and the restaurant.”

  She handed him the phone, and he saw the name of where Aria was. “She went on a date?”

  “Yes. I think it’s good for her. She’s nervous though,” Molly said.

  “What’s wrong?” Trey asked.

  “When are you going to admit you’ve got a thing for Aria?” Dale asked.

  All of his friends were fucking morons.

  “Do you have any idea how dangerous it is for a single woman to go on dates? They could get raped or killed, and you just let her go.”

  “It wasn’t about letting her go. She’s old enough, and Aria wants things in life,” June said.

  Max ran fingers through his hair. He needed to go home, get changed, and then get to the restaurant. “You’re all a bunch of fucking assholes.”

  He didn’t stay, rushing out of the parlor and heading home. His car was parked right outside of his place because he’d decided to walk.

  It had been years since he spent so much time running, and as he arrived at his place, he was out of breath, but he didn’t stop.

  Aria might need him.

  He showered fast and found his tux, the one he always wore for weddings, and then grabbed his keys, heading out. His hair was dripping wet, but he didn’t have time to style it. Besides, he’d put the window down and let nature do the rest. It would give him that messy look that chicks seemed to dig.

  On the road, he pressed his foot to the gas, trying to get to the restaurant on time.

  His cell phone was blowing up and one glance he saw it was texts from all of his so-called friends.

  They shouldn’t have allowed Aria to leave. It was plain and fucking simple. What they had done was bullshit. He was so mad at them.

  Aria shouldn’t go out on dates unless one of them was with her. She was sweet, kind, sensitive. Right now, he had a real issue with anyone hurting her.

  Pulling up to the restaurant, he found a good parking space across the street, paid the price for the meter, and rushed across. There was a bar, so he didn’t have to even ask for a table.

  He took a seat, ordered himself a soda, and checked out the restaurant. At the bar, he had a clear view of the entire place, and he spotted her by the window seat … alone. She had her cell phone in her hand and was typing away.

  Where was her date?

  Paying for his soda, he walked over and decided to find out what was going on.

  “You okay?” he asked.

  Aria looked up. “Max, what are you doing here?”

  “I was out looking for a date.” He slid into the booth. “Fancy meeting you here.”

  “Did June tell you where I was going?”

  “No, she didn’t tell me.” It wasn’t a lie. No words left June’s mouth over her whereabouts. “What are you doing here?”

  “I was supposed to go on a date, but he’s nearly an hour late and I didn’t know if traffic, or if I should leave.” She shrugged.

  Seeing how dejected she looked, Max took a sip of his soda, wishing it was something stronger.

  Aria hadn’t looked upset in all the time he’d known her, as adults. She held this frosty exterior around her like a blanket, and now, well, he was starting to feel like shit.

  She turned to look around the room, and he caught the glint of tears in her eyes and it cut him to the core, to know some asshole had made her feel like this.

  “So, hey, beautiful, do you come here often?” he asked, putting his soda down.

  “Max, what are you doing?” She pushed a stray curl off her head, and he reached out, tucking it behind her ear. She didn’t push him away.

  “Well, you’re here looking for a date, and I’m here all alone. Why not make this a … date?”

  She smiled. “Have you ever been on a date?”

  “No, I haven’t.”

  “You’ve never ever been on a date?” she asked.

  “Never ever.” He shrugged. “I’ve not exactly wanted to date women, Aria. You can fill in the blanks.”

  “I really don’t want to.” She blew out a breath. “This sucks.”

  He watched as she did some tapping on her phone.

  “Some people are just meant to die miserable and alone, I guess.” She pressed a button. “There, deleted.”

  “What did you delete?”

  “My profile. I’m not cut out for this dating world. I can’t even get a guy to come on one date.” She shook her head, and he hated how dejected she sounded.

  “Don’t let this loser get to you. He’s not worth it. No one is worth it. You look absolutely beautiful, and if you’d let me, I’d really love to have this date with you.”

  “You’ve never been on a date though.”

  “So, we can both have our firsts together. How about that?” He watched her press her lips together.

  The waitress appeared before Aria could respond. “I see your date has finally arrived. Would you like to order?”

  The waitress turned to him, and he saw the interest in her eyes. He wasn’t interested.

  “Oh, it’s fine. He’s not my—”

  “We’ll both have the steak, fries, and make sure there’s a salad on the side. Don’t be skimpy with the cheese either.” He handed back the menu, and the waitress disappeared.

  “Max, that woman thinks you’re on a date with me.”

  “Good. I don’t want anyone else tonight but you.” He reached out and took her hand. For a split second, she allowed him to hold her before finally withdrawing her hand.

  “I don’t think I can do this. How could you just order like that?”

  “One, I know you love steak. Two, everyone loves fries. Three, chicks dig salad, and besides, I’m hungry so the salad is for me. And four, this meal is on me. You’re not paying.”

  “Max, this isn’t about the money. Don’t you have something more important to do? Find a girl? Spend the night.”

  “Nope. I’m sitting with you, and we’re on a date.”

  “This is not an official date.”

  He smiled. “You’re nervous.”

  “I’m not nervous. I’m just…” Her thoughts ran off, and she stared past his shoulder. “I’m not nervous. I’m just … disappointed.” She repeated her sentence and finished it.

  “Why are you disappointed?” he asked.

  “I don’t want to talk about it.”

  “We may as well. We’ve got history, you and I. Tell me about what this dick has done, seeing as I’ve already been a dick to you, and I can try and make it up to you in some way.”

  She didn’t speak for several seconds. Her hands were clasped together. Suddenly, she leaned a little closer, and he did happen to notice how nice and plump her tits were. He shouldn’t be noticing things like that, but Aria possessed a very fuckable body.

  “He didn’t show.” She looked up, and tears filled her eyes. “I mean, what if he did turn up but I wasn’t looking, and he saw me, and he didn’t like me? Didn’t like the way I look? This whole dating thing was a waste of time. I shouldn’t have done it. I see that now.” She grabbed a napkin and wiped her eyes.

  She wasn’t wearing makeup. Aria never wore any. She was so damn innocent and sweet.

  “Why do you want to go on dates so much?” he asked.

  “I don’t want to be lonely anymore.”

  ****

  Aria quickly composed herself and forced a smile to her lips. “Ignore me. This is just the first time I’ve been stood up. It’s no big deal.”

  “Don’t let this one loser even get you down,” Max said.

  “Loser?”

  “Look, any guy that can’t come and say that he doesn’t want you to your face, is not worth your time or energy. He’s a fucking waster, and you can do so much better than him.”

  Then why was she sitting in this really nice restaurant, about to have dinner with Max? She could go home. It would be easier and far better for her, if she was just to go home.

  Instead, she sat in her seat, waiting for her meal to come out.

  “Are you feeling better?” he asked.

  “Yeah, I’ll be fine.”

  “You know, dating won’t help you to feel fulfilled.”

  “I don’t want to go around having one-night stands.”

  Max leaned back in his chair, arms up. “Whoa, I’ve not had a one-night stand in a long time.”

  “What is a one-night stand like?” she asked.

  “I feel we’re getting way off topic here.”

  “You’re my date, and I’m asking you. I’ve never had one.” She snorted. “I’ve never gone out drinking or partying. I’ve never lived up a good life. I’m just me, you know. The baker. I spent most of my years in high school studying. I was never invited to parties. I was never considered to be fun, not even a little bit.” She pouted.

  “Are you wanting to get crazy?”

  She climbed out of her seat and rushed toward the bar. Ordering shots, she smiled at the bartender, paid the money, and went back to the table.

  Putting a couple of shots down in front of Max, she held one in her hand, and without thinking about the repercussions of getting completely drunk, she knocked it back, swallowing. The shots were hot and burned her throat, but she quickly did the second shot.

  Glancing over at Max, she saw his gaze was wide as he watched her.

  “Come on, Max. I paid for the shots. Drink up, enjoy.”

  “I brought my car tonight.” She blew out a raspberry before she could control herself. She pressed a hand to her mouth as Max laughed. “I’ve got a feeling I’m going to be designated driver for tonight. I’ll make sure you get home safe.”

  He moved the shots toward her, and she sighed.

  “I’m not going anywhere, Aria. You’re going to be perfectly safe with me.”

  She knocked back the third shot just as the waitress brought their food.

  “Is that because you don’t bang fatties?” she asked.

  Max had taken a bite of steak, which he started to cough around as she spoke. “What the hell?”

  She pressed her lips together and couldn’t believe she’d even said anything. Those shots were strong. There was no way they were like a truth serum or something.

  “What the hell, Aria?”

  “I’m perfectly safe with you, because you’re not going to grope me, or take advantage of me. You don’t do fat chicks, right? I think I recall you saying that at school. You see, Max, it wasn’t just the lard ass comment. Someone told me how you mentioned that I’d made a pass at you and that you had to tell me you didn’t want me. I had to deal with people saying ‘sorry fatty, I don’t do chicks who wriggle.’ Everyone always laughed because apparently, it’s what you said. They thought it was so funny.”

  She picked up the fourth shot, and knocked it back.

  Looking up, Max was staring at her intently. Picking up her fork, he covered her hands with his own.

  “I never said that. Whoever it was, fucking lied. Okay, I don’t even remember calling you a name or what I did at all. I was a fucking jerk back then. An asshole. I’m not the same person. I’ve changed. With how you’ve responded to just a couple of shots, I bet you can’t handle your drink properly, and won’t remember this come morning, so here it is. I would fuck you at the first opportunity. I love how your tits are pressed together. They look so fucking full and ripe. I want to see them bouncing in front of my face as I pound your pussy.” He smiled. “That’s not all. I want to spread you open. Have you on my bed, legs wide so I can see just how wet you are. There have been nights where I’ve thought about you. Where my dick has gotten so hard, and only you will be able to make the ache go away. I’m trying to make amends for all I’ve done. I will continue to do so. A dating website won’t work. This right now, won’t work. You’re going to have a killer headache in the morning, but don’t worry. I’ll make sure to bring my remedy by in the morning.” With that, he put a piece of beef in his mouth and chewed.

  Aria opened her mouth, closed it, and got to her feet, moving toward the bar and ordering more shots.

  Her stomach felt a little tight, and her body was incredibly fluid. The alcohol must be going to her brain. She carried the four shots back to the table, feeling some of the liquid spill over her fingers. She sat back down, and Max took the shots.

  “You’re going to eat something, and come morning, you’ll thank me for it.”

  “You’re being a buzzkill.”

  “And you’re not responding to the fact I want to fuck you. How about that?”

  She snorted. “You think I believe you.”

  “Why wouldn’t you?”

  “Come on. I’ve heard everything Molly and June have had to say about you. A different girl every chance you get. You’re always with someone new. I’m not shocked, not even a little bit. You don’t want to fuck me. You’re just being nice to me.” She ate a bunch of fries, staring at him, daring him to comment.

  He picked some up himself, and ate a lot more than she could put in her mouth at any one time.

  “You don’t think I want you?”

  “No. I don’t.”

  She gasped as he leaned over the table, and right there, he traced the curve of her dress. Even though her dress flared out around her knees, the bodice was incredibly tight and pressed her breasts together, giving her a really impressive cleavage, which Max was now stroking. The touch of his finger on the top of her breast, and she couldn’t think. Not with how he looked at her. He looked ready to devour her.

  “I wonder what these beauties will look like bouncing in front of my face. I want to see if you’ve got small nipples or large ones.” He pulled his hand away. “I’m not joking with you.”

  “I’m a virgin.” The words spilled out of her mouth before she could stop them.

  Max nodded. “I gathered. Maybe if you forget this, we’ll never have to speak of it again. However, if you don’t forget about it, maybe you and I can … explore this.”

  “Explore what?”

  “You don’t feel it?”

  “Look, Max, I don’t feel a whole lot right now.”

  He chuckled. “That’s the alcohol talking. I guess I’m going to have to wait and see just how much you remember.”

  She ate a couple of slices of beef, more fries, and even took a large helping of the salad before washing it down with another two shots. She wasn’t good at alcohol or taking rejection. This was the first guy she’d ever considered dating, not Max, even though as she stared across the table, there were two of them.

  “Do you have, like, an evil twin?” she asked, squinting.

  “I think now is as good a time as any to get that check. You’re so going to vomit, aren’t you?”

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” She shrugged, finishing off the last shot. “I like it when you’re being nice. You’re not a giant dick when you’re nice. I even like you walking me to and from work, which is weird because at first, I really hated it. I didn’t want you around me. It’s nice to have someone to care.”

  Max paid for the check, and she smiled at the waitress.

  “He’s coming home with me. I bet that shocks you.”

  “She’s drunk,” he said.

  Aria let out a little gasp as she was pulled to her feet. With her arm around Max’s shoulder, he helped to lift her and walk her out. She liked how close he was, and how nice he smelled. It was rather intoxicating.

  She could totally get used to this brand of care, the sweetness of him.

  “I think I could like you, Max,” she said.

  He opened the car door for her, and everything began to get really fuzzy. The world spun, and before she could stop herself, she vomited.

  Chapter Three

  Max poured some orange juice, some dry toast, and put some painkillers in a tiny bowl he found inside Aria’s apartment. The sun was shining, and he’d spent the night, keeping an eye on her to make sure she didn’t choke on her own vomit.

  He’d held her beneath the shower because she had vomit all over her by the time he got home. His car stank and was indeed covered in vomit. He refused to stop the car until he got her somewhere safe, and that place was home.

  So, he’d showered her, brushed her teeth, done everything he could to make her comfortable, and put her to bed. He’d set his alarm to check on her every thirty minutes, until he’d finally given up and slept in the chair beside her bed.

  His body ached, but he’d taken a shower and felt somewhat refreshed. Cricking his neck from side to side, he moved around the kitchen with ease, enjoying his time until he heard the groan.

  Sipping his own orange juice, he waited for it, and just before nine, she groaned. Finishing off his drink, he walked into her doorway as she got up, rubbing at her head.

  “You okay, sleepyhead?”

  She gasped, her eyes going wide as she looked at him and then down at her body.

  Max waited to see if she’d remember their time together.

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