Only You

Only You by Denise Grover Swank

Book: Only You by Denise Grover Swank Read Free Book Online
Authors: Denise Grover Swank
was the first time I realized her obsession with the circus.”
    “Cirque du Soleil?” Tyler asked.
    “No. Barnum and Bailey.”
    “Oh, shit.” Matt groaned. “You and clowns…”
    “Yeah, I about flipped my shit when she moved in and unpacked a box of clown dolls.”
    “Dude,” Matt said. “You let her stay?”
    “I was trying to be mature about it.”
    Tyler laughed. “Because having a clown-doll collection is so mature.”
    “Touché.” Matt chuckled.
    Kevin narrowed his eyes. “Since when did you start staying things like touché?”
    Matt leveled his gaze, the corners of his lips twitching as he tried to look serious. “I’m trying to be mature. Like you with the clown dolls.”
    Releasing a loud groan, Kevin picked up his beer. “Never mind. There’s no fucking way I’m telling you why we broke up.”
    “Fine,” Tyler said, leaning forward. “Don’t tell him, but don’t think you’re getting out of telling me.”
    Kevin took a long gulp of his beer. “I found her with a clown.”
    Tyler’s eyes bugged out. “When you say found her with a clown…”
    Kevin took another drink. “I mean in the biblical sense.”
    His friends burst out into laughter.
    “Yeah, laugh it up. I was traumatized.”
    Matt wiped the tears from his eyes. “No wonder you’ve sworn off women. It’s a wonder you didn’t become a monk.”
    Tyler laughed. “Okay, I’ll admit you’re in the big leagues of crazy exes, but you’re still a rookie.”
    “There’s no way in hell you can top that.”
    “Want to bet money on it?” Tyler asked.
    “It’s too subjective,” Matt said. “All our stories are bad.”
    “I’ll go next,” Tyler volunteered. “You know that I’m not a believer in relationships. But then I met a woman who intrigued me enough for me to ask her out several times. But then I noticed things started going missing in my condo. Little things. My comb. A tie. You know how socks disappear in the wash? My underwear went missing. But I still wasn’t putting things together. She never wanted me to go to her place, but one day I stopped by to surprise her. I knocked and the door was cracked open. At first I was worried someone had broken in or she was in danger, so I walked in to make sure she was okay. But then I found her home office…or, rather, her stalker room.”
    “What?”
    “Every wall surface was covered in photos of me. Her computer screen was frozen on an image of me getting out of the shower. Naked. Then I found all my missing things scattered around something that resembled a shrine in her closet.”
    Kevin shook his head. “What a nut job.”
    “I broke up with her, of course, right after I notified the police, but she refused to leave me alone. She kept turning up. At my office. At my house. At a ball game I went to with Matt. She sat down at my table in a restaurant when I was on a date. The last straw was when I woke up tied to my bed. I filed a restraining order.”
    “Jesus.” Kevin groaned. “That’s freaky.”
    “She was harmless,” Tyler said. “Just annoying.”
    Matt picked up his glass. “She tied you to your bed, dude!”
    Tyler shrugged. “She wasn’t going to hurt me.”
    “Still, it freaked you out enough that you haven’t dated since,” Matt said.
    “How long ago was that?” Kevin asked.
    “Three months.”
    Kevin shook his head. “Have you ever gone three days without a woman?”
    “No.” Matt chuckled. “Which explains his crankiness and his blue balls.”
    “You’re a fine one to talk,” Tyler said. “If we’re awarding prizes, then you get first place.”
    Matt’s smile fell. “It’s a prize I can do without.” He looked behind him. “Oh, look here comes our food.”
    The waitress set down the plates and as soon as she walked away, Kevin turned to his friend. “Good stall, but I told my story so you’re telling yours. Start talking.”
    Matt’s grin fell. “I thought Sylvia might be the one. She moved in and things seemed to

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