Let Me Be the One Read Online Free PDF Page B

won’t do this anymore.  I feel bad that you’re hurting.  You know I’ll always care about you but we’re over.”
    “S eeing Mac all over you last night?  I wanted to tear his head off.  I’m trying Darcy, just please, do you have to be with him ?  Couldn’t you go for someone who’s not my friend?”
    No , I gave myself a mental pep talk , no one is going to control me anymor e.  I stood up to let him know I was ending the conversation, “Nick, I’m not with Mac but you are not telling me who I can and can’t be with.  It’s been way over a year.  I’ve done my penance.  We share the same friends so I’m not promising that you won’t know who I get involved with.  I’m done tip-toeing around for you.”
    He stood up and met my gaze as he moved closer to me. “Sounds like there already is someone.  You’re telling me you are not with Mac?”
    He said it like he didn’t believe me; he was challenging me, daring me.  And, I’d noticed, he’d gone from gentle and pleading to angry within the span of three minutes.  I was not doing this anymore.  I wanted to make sure he knew I wasn’t the same timid girl who ran away last year. I looked at him evenly, challenging him back as I said, “It’s not Mac but there is someone and you know him.  I’m not with him but I have feelings for him.”
    He smirked and shook his head.  After a moment he said in a low voice, “If it’s not Mac then it’s Tom.  I see how he looks at you.”  When I staye d quiet he raised his voice as he spat, “Seriously, Darcy, it has to be him, one of my best friends?”  When I didn’t answer again he looked at me with disgust. “Well prepare yourself, Darcy.  You’ll be one of many.  He’s a master bullshit artist.  I bet he’ll have you out of your panties in no time and then you’ll be just like every other girl he uses.  He’ll fuck you and then you’ll be nothing to him.”  He looked defeated and then shook his head, “I would never do that to you, Darcy.  I’d never treat you like that.”
    “Get out, Nick.”
    After a few tense moments of silence he turned, put his fist through the flimsy wall, and then practically took the door off the hinges on his way out.
    Five minutes with Nick and I’m sick to my stomach again.  I had that familiar nervous energy coursing through my veins.  My hands were shaking.  I needed to get in touch with Tom.  I’d seen Nick like this before and I knew a storm was heading Tom’s way.  I dialed Dan. “Hey, can you give me Tom’s number quick?”
    He paused then answered , “Sure, Darce.  Are you okay?”
    “I’m fine, Dan. I just need to tell him some thing, kind-of right away.”
    This was going to be awkward.  I nearly dropped t he phone right as he answered. “Hello?”
    “Hey Tom, it’s Darcy.”
    “Well, to what do I owe this pleasure?” He had some sexy voice. “Are you calling to apologize for refusing to feed a starving, growing boy last week? I’m still fantasizing about how good that lasagna smelled.”
    “Um, no Tom,” I managed to laugh, “You have yet to earn my lasagna.  But seriously, I’m calling to tell you that Nick might be on his way to pummel you as we speak, so I just wanted to warn you.”
    He said breezily, “I can ha ndle him.  Why is he after me?”
    “H e came over to my place, we talked, it didn’t go very well, and he kind-of got the impression that I might be into you.”
    He sounded amused, “You might be into me?  Hey now, that’s definitely worth getting pummeled for.”
    I cringed as I said, “I’m about to die of sham e and embarrassment right now.”
    He laughed, “Well, thanks for the warning ‘caus e here he comes.  Wait, Darcy?”
    “What?”
    “You’ve made my day.”
    I don’t think I’ve ever smiled that wide.  Maybe I was setting myself up for heartbreak but I couldn’t stop myself from wanting him.  I hoped Tom was a changed man because I was a lost cause.  Just hearing