Secret Designs(42)

"I know you," she responded with squinted eyes. "Ari told us about you. You were the one who cheated on her with one of her friends then had the hide to throw in her face how much you've spent on her to cover up your guilt."

Dylan could only look at the woman with a dumbfounded expression.

"So why are you here?" Mrs. Overzealous continued, seething. "Lord only knows why she wants to see you again, but Ari's always been soft. But you don't deserve her, you cheating bastard."

"I've never cheated on her. You've mistaken me for another man," Dylan said, reeling from the vitriol directed at him in error.

The woman frowned. "You're her ex, aren't you?"

"I'm her current boyfriend, not her ex. Well, at least I hope I'm not an ex."

Mrs. Overzealous stared at him sceptically. "You're not the one she caught in bed with someone else?"

"No!" Dylan responded, horrified.

There was a long pause before the woman's expression turned to consternation.

"Well, I guess I owe you an apology then," Mrs. Overzealous said, shamefaced. "I'm so sorry. When you told me that car outside was yours, I just jumped to conclusions. Her ex also drove a black Mercedes sports car, you see."

"Oh, right. Well, I can guarantee you I'm not the one you're talking about," he said, still processing what Mrs. Overzealous inadvertently divulged.

Ari caught her ex in bed with another woman? Jesus, that must have devastated her.

They were interrupted by footsteps coming from the stairwell. A couple of seconds later, Ari appeared, her hands filled with bags.

"Hi, Estelle," she said. "I see you've met Dylan."

"Yes," Estelle replied. "I'm afraid I made a boo-boo, Ari. I thought he was your ex and, uh, I'm afraid I gave him a piece of my mind before I realised my mistake."

Ari's eyes widened. "You thought he was Richard?"

"Oh, was that the name of that cheating bastard? Sorry. I'd forgotten. Anyway, it was the Mercedes downstairs that made me jump to conclusions." Estelle turned to Dylan. "I'm really sorry," she said with an apologetic smile.

"No problems, Estelle. I'm glad you care about Ari," he answered.

"She's a great girl," Estelle responded with a pointed look at him. She waved goodbye and disappeared into her apartment.

Dylan turned to Ari, who was unlocking her door.

"Let me carry some of those for you," he offered, reaching to take the shopping bags from her.

"No thanks. I'm fine," she said coldly, pushing the door open and walking in.

He scratched his head and followed her, closing the door behind him.

"You seem really close with your neighbours," he commented, hoping she'd get friendlier.

"They treat me like their daughter," she said, her tone still distant.

He sucked in some air. "Baby, I'm really sorry about this morning. Can we sit down and talk about it?" he pleaded.

"Please don't call me 'baby'. And I don't think there's anything I want to talk to you about," Ari responded flatly as she deposited her stuff on the dining table.

Oh, hell. This is really bad.

"I know you're really mad right now," he said softly. "You have every right to be. I'm sorry. But please let me explain." His heart constricted so hard at the thought that she was about to break up with him that he found it hard to breathe.

Ari whirled to face him, her face full of hurt. "Explain what, Dylan? That you thought I was interested in you for your money? So much so that you had your best friends try to unmask me?"

"I knew from the start you weren't like that, sweetheart," he said, trying to placate her.

"Don't call me 'sweetheart' either, Dylan. And there's no point in you explaining when you're just going to lie."

"What do you mean I'm just going to lie? I want to tell you the truth so we could put this behind us."

Ari snickered. "You just said you knew from the start I wasn't like that. Yet you still got Trey to dig and dig to try to prove I'm some scheming gold digger."

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "But it was only because I was damn scared of what I was feeling for you. Maybe I tried to sabotage this relationship," he spouted. He was surprised at how much he wanted to be honest with her with everything.

Ari frowned at him in pained confusion. "Well, then, it's straight out of your mouth. You don't want to have a relationship with me, whatever the reason might be."

"But I do, Ari! You see, a woman broke my heart and my trust five years ago. While I've been over her for years now, I haven't learned how to be over my guilt for being so stupid back then. I was just afraid I'll be as foolish this time around, and end up getting hurt again."