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"You like to people watch, right?" he asked "So outside?"

Regina barely acknowledged hi or even be there any so worked up over so out The little naïve bubble she’d lived in so blissfully this entire last week had just burst She should’ve known this was too good to be true He was too good to be true

The moment the hostess took their drink orders and walked away Brandon reached across the table and took her hand before she could pull it away

"That kiss you saw"

He squeezed her hand when she tried to pull it away Okay, maybe she didn’t want to knowhim address itto foro?

"It was the only tih, she feltHad she really been so blinded by his charure out his inscrutable personality all week that he now thought he could pull this bullshit on her too? She was only glad they were outside and the buzz of the people and cars going up and down the strip was so loud because her exaggerated scoff had been pretty loud

"Really?" she asked, lowering her voice Her heart felt co went hand in hand with his love "So when you took her home and fked her, you never once kissed her?"

That did it She’d officially ruined their evening She’d taken this frou there enjoying a delectable dessert and then gone hoain Instead, she wouldn’t even be able to eat now, and she’d probably be spending the night alone for the first tiht at her place Worse yet, she felt on the verge of crossing over to that other side, that side she’d crossed over one too many times and was the reason why she’d been onBrandon didn’t notice her shaking hand

Brandon squeezed her other hand a little harder, closing his eyes for aa deep breath "This really is not the time or place for this, baby--"

"Don’t call rip "But you’re right I don’t think I wanna be here anyina," he said, very determined "I kissed her out of desperation I panicked, okay?"

"What?" Regina peered at hiht Regina crossed her arms in front of her, not sure if she was more annoyed or curious now

"I supposed you took her ho around, and lowered his voice a bit "You said it yourself the other day" He glanced down at her still noticeably unstable hand "Obviously, there is still a lot that you and I don’t know about each other But trust ht irls I’ve never seen again"

Sitting up a little straighter, Regina tried desperately to regain so away so quickly "What exactly did you panic about, Brandon?"

This time Brandon took a sip of his oater, and that made her nervous Her heart ached to think maybe she really was on to hiently but fir his out for her

If she weren’t in such need to feel instant colanced down at his hand, te her da, and prayed whatever he said next would ive this up just yet

"I told you," he began as reached for her other hand and squeezed both in his "I foughtwhen you confrontedthat battle Asit, I knew the one thing that would make it impossible was the remote possibility that you were attracted to me too Because of the way I had treated you up until then, I didn’t think you could be Yet I saw so Then, when you showed up at that restaurant looking at me like you did, I panicked" He shook his head with a frown "It was a last-ditch effort to walk aithturned upside down"

Regina stared at hi he’d just told her, except that last part Before she could ask, the waitress dropped off their coffee and tea, and Brandon put in the order for her slice of tira that she couldn’t bring herself to even look away from him for even a moment, she chastised herself for the instant heat she felt as he smiled at the waitress sweetly She’d never been this insecure Ryan used to flirt with their waitresses openly, and she’d laugh Brandon was just being polite here As serious as he was, until that night she saw hiirl, she’d been certain he never smiled, much less had a flirtatious side

The waitress had just walked ahen Regina asked, "I turned your life upside down?"