Filed to story: Once Upon a One Night Mistake Book PDF Free by Simone Shirazi
He opened his mouth, looking as if he wanted to spit some kind of retort, but merely sighed instead. “This isn’t getting us anywhere. We can’t get along for more than thirty seconds at a time.”
Taliana nodded in agreement, leaning back in her seat. “We weren’t meant to be nice to each other. It just doesn’t feel right, and it probably never will.”
“Well maybe if you could control that sharp tongue of yours, it would be easier.”
“Ha! I’ll be able to control my tongue the day you learn how to shut your mouth.”
“Hopefully that will be sooner rather than later, because frankly I’m sick of your stupid-” He cut off abruptly. “We’re doing it again.”
“Doing wha- Oh.” Taliana squirmed slightly and glanced out the window. “We really can’t help it. Every time you insult me, I feel like I’m required to hurl one right back at you.”
“I’m not always the one starting it.”
Taliana scoffed. “Yes, you are. You’re the one constantly stirring shit.”
“I do not,” he huffed, hand tightening on the steering wheel.
“Do, too.”
“Do not.”
“Do, too.”
“Do- Oh screw this.” Sebastian shook his head and shifted down. “We’ll never get along, will we?”
“Not unless we’re forced to,” she pointed out. “Actually, even if we were forced to, I doubt we could manage it.”
“What about being civil for more than thirty seconds?”
“No chance in hell.”
They pulled up outside of Cool Beans a moment later and strolled inside, joining the short queue. After scanning the menu, which had barely changed even after years of being away, Taliana glanced out the front windows to observe the traffic passing by instead. And then she spotted a familiar car.
“Uh oh.”
Sebastian looked down at her, frowning at the panicked look on her face. “What’s wrong?”
Taliana nodded to the silver Bentley with California tags that had just pulled to the curb. “Zak’s here.”
Sebastian glanced out the window just as Zak slid out of the pricey car and pulled off his sunglasses. It wasn’t long before he spotted Taliana and Sebastian inside the coffee shop, eyes narrowing with rage.
“This isn’t good,” Taliana groaned, wringing her hands as she stepped behind Sebastian in an attempt to get out of sight. “He is the last person I want to see right now.”
Sebastian pursed his lips and watched as Zak stalked toward the entrance before returning his gaze to Taliana. “Follow my lead, okay?”
“Wha-“
She was cut off when Zak finally wrenched open the door and appeared in front of them, looking none too happy about what he was seeing.
“Huntington,” Sebastian greeted, sounding almost cheerful as he suddenly slipped an arm around Taliana’s waist. “Didn’t expect to see you here.”
Appalled, Taliana tried to push his arm away, but he only tightened his grip and pulled her to his side, forcing her to put a hand on his chest to keep her balance.
“Likewise,” Zak said slowly, obviously trying to get a grip on the current situation.
Taliana had a feeling that once he did, things were going to get ugly. And fast.
“You’re next in line,” she grumbled, managing to shove Sebastian away. “Get me a latte, would you?”
“Anything for you, babe,” he replied, winking before he turned and went to the counter.
That was enough to push Zak over the edge.
“What the hell are you doing with him, Lia?” he snapped, taking a step closer to her. “I never took you for the type of girl who would whore herself out to a guy like that.”
“And I never thought you would choose my best friend over me,” Taliana shot back, forcing herself to meet his dark gaze. “Guess we don’t know each other as well as we thought.”
“Apparently.” He glanced over her shoulder to shoot Sebastian’s back a glare. “He’s no good for you, you know. He’ll just screw you over in the end.”
Taliana snorted humorlessly as she crossed her arms. “Like you did?”
Zak’s eyes snapped back to hers. “That’s not the point. You can’t-“
“What I do is none of your business,” she cut in. “Besides, Sebastian is a hell of a lot better to me than you ever were.”
A look of outrage crossed his face as Taliana hitched her chin up, smug with the knowledge she could provoke such a reaction from him just by saying Sebastian was the lesser of two evils. However, it still sparked a certain fear in her; she’d seen the result of his anger in the past, and it hadn’t been pretty.
Though he currently looked like he wanted nothing more than to make a scene, Zak merely let out a disgusted scoff and stormed out of the coffee shop. Taliana had expected him to stand his ground, maybe even threaten Sebastian a couple times, but this departure was a pleasant surprise.
Sebastian sidled up beside her a moment later with a cup in each hand.
“I think I just convinced Zak that we’re friends,” Taliana told him, taking one of the cups. “Or at least not enemies.”
“I’m not sure which is worse.”
The amusement in his voice made Taliana look up. “You’re the one who started it. Why the hell did you put your arm around my waist like that?”