I could almost hear Becky’s tiny heart shatter. She was a very telling person. “I… I’m going to go grab a water…or something,” she said, shifting in her seat.

Carson stood, letting her through, then settled back into the booth, where we were now unfortunately… alone.

With his focus now squarely on me, I was sure I stopped breathing. Was he challenging me? Well fine.

“That was really shitty,” I said, nearly coming out of my skin with his glare.

“Excuse me?”

“I heard the same rumor—and don’t act dumb, you hurt her feelings.”

He didn’t flinch. “Becky needs to grow up.”

Someone touched my shoulder. “Lovely seeing you again, Paige. How long you in town for?” Olivia, a friend of a friend from college was making her rounds. She reached over and touched Carson’s arm, winking at him. “Hey you.”

Yeah, they slept together. She wasn’t here for me.

“Here to stay,” I answered Olivia, knowing my response fell on deaf ears.

“That’s awesome, we should get together soon.”

I responded with my best resting bitch face, and she turned away pretending to spot someone else. “Well, bye.”

“You go somewhere?” Carson asked once we were left alone again.

“Manhattan. About a year ago.” I told him, not the least bit surprised that he hadn’t noticed.

“Graduate early?”

“Didn’t graduate.”

His gaze swept over me. “Don’t strike me as the drop out type.”

My leg was starting to shake. What the hell was his deal? I should have just abandoned this conversation and left. But instead, I willed my leg to quit it and gave him a quick once over myself. “Don’t strike me as an ass, yet here we are.” I grinned and took another sip of beer.

He nodded slowly, his tongue moving against the inside of his cheek. As if he appreciated the slight.

I didn’t mean to be rude, but his attitude was rubbing me the wrong way. I exhaled, wondering what I did to deserve such scrutiny. “What do I strike you as?” I finally asked.

His fingers twined as he rested his elbows on the table and leaned in. “Someone who spends too much time ‘people watching’ than worrying about her own shit.”

I glared at him, at a loss for words. But I certainly couldn’t sit here and confirm his observations. All this time I thought he hadn’t noticed me, hadn’t seen me standing to the side, watching him, but not only had he noticed…

He was throwing it in my face.

“I don’t ‘people watch’,” I finally said after swallowing the ball in my throat.

“No,” he paused, narrowing his eyes. “You Carson watch.”

I blinked, half shocked at such a blatant statement… and half mortified.

When he didn’t move, I turned away.

“Yeah. That’s what I figured.” He leaned back.

My head snapped back. “What, exactly, did you figure?”