I laughed on a breath, tucking my curls behind my ear as I righted myself. “Hi,” I said, and instantly, my cheeks flushed — not because of the warmth of the coffee shop or my latte, but from the way Shawn watched me, from how I’d completely blown him off after the night at his apartment without so much as a text to explain why.

He looked like a mix between a dog that had been kicked, and the poor sucker who’d kicked it and then regretted it.

“Hi,” he replied.

He slid his hands into his pockets, eyes washing over me as his brows bent together.

“You look great,” he said after a moment. “Happy.”

“I am,” I said easily, a genuine smile finding my lips. “I really am.”

“Good.” Shawn nodded, rolling his lips together against what he wanted to say before it burst free. “Are you… did you and Clay break up?”

“What?” I frowned, shaking my head. “No.”

“No,” Shawn repeated, deadpan. “What do you mean, no?”

“I mean, no, we didn’t break up. We’re still together and…” I smiled, shaking my head. “We’re amazing.”

Shawn looked like I’d just punched him in the stomach.

“Giana, come on… you’re not stupid. Please tell me you don’t believe what you just said.”

My brows shot up into my hairline, and I stared at him incredulously for one moment before I turned on my heels. “Wow. Goodbye, Shawn.”

He followed me despite the farewell and my attempt to shut the glass door behind me before he could catch it.

“He isn’t good for you, he isn’t good period.”

I spun to face him. “You don’t even know him.”

“I know how he treats you,” he said, his nose flaring, chest puffing like he was my shining knight riding in to save me. “That’s enough.”

I fought the urge to laugh, letting out a long, slow sigh. “Shawn, I promise — it’s not all that I made it seem. You don’t—”

“Don’t tell me I don’t understand. I saw how he made you cry, how he made you feel worthless and disrespected with his mouth on another girl’s body right in front of you.”

I battled with the decision on whether to tell him about the whole ruse, but decided it wasn’t for him — or anyone else — to know.

“We’ve worked through things,” I landed on, reaching out to squeeze Shawn’s forearm. “And I’m sorry I brought you into the situation. I shouldn’t have. It was wrong of me, and selfish. But… we’re okay now. We’re better than okay.”