“Millie,” I said, glaring. “She deserves someone better than you.” His face was reddening, but it wasn’t enough. I had to ratchet it up. “In every way.” My gaze traveled up and down his body. “I mean, look at you. Millie should be with someone more on her level.”

Mitch threw down his cigarette but didn’t bother putting it out. He stepped toward me. This is it, I thought, squeezing my eyes shut. But he didn’t hit me. He started laughing. My eyes popped back open.

“Oh, yeah? And is that someone you?” he asked, his expression one of amusement.

“Huh?”

“Come on, we all see the way you look at Millie. The way you follow her around like her damn shadow. You’re into her, huh?”

I swallowed hard, wishing I’d chosen a different tack. There were a million things I could’ve said that would piss him off. I’d seen him blow a gasket over tiny things. Spilled beer. Making fun of his favorite basketball team. Anything. Why had I chosen Millie?

“No.” My voice shook. “Millie and I—we’re just friends.”

“Yeah, I know.” He smiled. “But just admit it, you want her. You want her bad.”

I backed up, my legs like jelly. “No, I—I—don’t. I like boys.”

“Prove it.”

“What?” I froze.

Before I could stop him, his hands came around my waist. He shoved me up against the door to his apartment. The back of my head slammed into it. I bit my tongue, coating it in a metallic taste.

“I said prove it,” he ground out.

Stop is what I tried to say, but the word came out so tiny it got lost on the breeze.

One of his hands traveled up to grab my breast, shocking me. Nothing about it felt good or sexual. It felt painful, cruel. I’d wanted Mitch to hurt me, but not like this. Never like this.

“God, it’s like a game trying to find your tits in all that fat,” he said, a cruel joke, squeezing harder.

I screamed out, flailing my arms, trying to push him away. I’d never felt so frustrated and helpless in my life.

“Stop, stop, stop!” By the time I got the word out, it sounded like a mantra.

He drew back, shook his head, laughed again. “Told ya.”

My eyes widened at his cavalier response. I shoved off the wall, sidestepping him on shaky legs.

“You’re not into guys,” he added.

“Just stay away from me.” Once I put a decent amount of distance between us, I turned to him. “Don’t ever touch me again.”

“Oh, trust me, I don’t want to.” His gaze roamed my body as if it was a mound of puke. “I only did that to prove a point. I’m not a chubby chaser.”