The Boyfriend Experience (The Boyfriend Experience 1)

The song “Before He Cheats” by Carrie Underwood played in the background, and she almost laughed at the timing and irony of the fitting lyrics.

“How did you find out?” Eric asked somberly, obviously knowing where her story was heading and how it would end.

“I decided to make him dinner on a Saturday night so we’d have some quality time together, in hopes of getting things back on track,” she said, staring ahead at the cars in front of theirs on the freeway. “He came over, but when I tried to hug and kiss him hello, it felt so painfully awkward . . .and I remember thinking that whatever the issue was, it wasn’t me. It was him. He wasn’t making any effort to be affectionate or meet me halfway in my attempts to make our relationship work.”

She rubbed her fingers along her forehead and forced herself to finish. “While I was setting the table, he went to the bathroom, and his phone, which he’d left on the table, lit up with a message. I just happened to glance at it because it was right in front of me, and the display showed a text from Raquel asking him what time he was coming over later that night.”

Eric swore beneath his breath and reached out and grabbed her hand, telling her without words just how sorry he was. His touch had such a calming effect on her, and as much as she liked it, she knew better than to get used to it.

“Yeah . . . I’ll admit I did not see that one coming.” Back then, she’d been devastated. Now, she just hated that she’d wasted three years on an unfaithful asshole. “When I confronted Graham, he got defensive about it, and somehow it became my fault that he put his dick in my cousin,” she said in a droll tone, trying to disguise the hurt she was feeling.

An abrupt gust of laughter escaped Eric, and she smiled, which helped to ease the knot that had tightened in her stomach.

“So, after I kicked him out, I made the decision to move away from Fresno, because I needed to start my life somewhere new where I didn’t have to deal with my cousin or see her with Graham.” Evie shivered at the soothing way Eric rubbed his thumb along the back of her hand. “I decided on San Diego, and Scarlett and Jessica, who worked at the same place as I did in Fresno, decided they wanted to join me.”

“For real?” he asked with a surprised grin.

She nodded. “My parents were supportive and excited that I was doing something so adventurous, and when I told my grandpa, he was happy for me, too. He also surprised me with a small trust fund he’d set aside for all of his grandkids. He said that he hadn’t told any of the grandkids about the money, because he wanted to be able to give it to us when we needed it the most and not because we thought we deserved it. And he was adamant that the money would be an investment in my future. So, off I went to San Diego, and Jessica and Scarlett and I were lucky enough to find an older woman who was looking to sell her salon because she wanted to retire, and the three of us went in on the business together.”

“And this is where you live happily ever after, right?” he teased lightheartedly.

“Not quite,” she murmured. “Don’t forget about cheater number two, who pretty much crushed my faith in the opposite sex,” she said, injecting a joking note in her tone. She wasn’t trying to put down the man sitting beside her in any way, but it was easy to be open and honest with Eric since they weren’t technically dating. “For now, I think I just need to be single for a while and figure out why my judgment in men sucks so badly.”

He squeezed her hand, which to her was much more comforting than platitudes or pity. She didn’t need to be on the receiving end of you’re better off without him or you deserve better. Between Graham and her latest ex, she’d heard enough of those sympathetic comments to last her a lifetime.

“This reunion is the first time I’ll see both of them since moving to San Diego. They just got engaged, so I’m prepared to have that flaunted in my face, too.” She sighed, feeling mentally and emotionally exhausted after reliving the past, and she glanced over at him as he kept his eyes on the road. “And now, knowing all the drama that you’re probably going to get sucked into, are you sure you don’t want to request a monetary fee for your time?” she asked, more than a little serious.

He flashed her a sinful, toe-curling grin. “Sweetheart, you underestimate just how much I enjoy kissing you. There’s not a chance in hell I’m giving up that privilege for a paycheck.”