Page 19 of The Through Duet
Now, while I didn’t owe Koen Wilder any kind of explanation about how I chose to live my life, he had asked me out, and I felt like he deserved a conversation on why I couldn’t go out with him.After all, asking someone out wasn’t an easy thing to do, no matter what you looked like.Putting yourself out there like that required a certain amount of vulnerability, and I could appreciate that, even though I hadn’t ever asked anyone out before in my life.
Honestly, I wasn’t sure if I ever would.
Chapter 10
Koen~
I couldn’t explain why I was so fucking mad, especially when you considered that I hardly knew the woman, but I was, and it had nothing to do with my ego.
At least, I’d like to believe that.
“Look, who I decide to...to entertain is really none of your business-”
“He’s got to be in his forties,” I bit out, my brain completely misfiring with the fact that she’d rather go home with a man like that than go to dinner with me.“I mean...Jesus, Rya.”
She let out a heavy sigh before saying, “It’s easier that way, Koen.”
My head jerked in confusion.“What’s easier?”
“Look, I’m very aware of what I look like,” she said, and holy fucking shit.“So, it’s either stay within my paygrade, or else live my life like a nun, and that’s not anything that I want to do.”
I shook my head.“What in the hell are you talking about?Your paygrade?”
“Quit acting obtuse,” she replied coolly, her voice clipped a bit.“Girls like me do not date guys like you, and I’ve accepted that I need to take what I can get and be happy about it.”
I could feel my eyes widened in absolute shock.“What?Are you crazy?”
“Look-”
“You’re fucking beautiful, Rya,” I told her, cutting her off.“How can you not see that?”
“Quit saying that,” she fired back.“I amnotbeautiful.I’m plain, overweight, and my job is one that barely pays the bills.Do not paint me as something that I’m not just to win an argument.”
“Are you seriously telling me that I’m not allowed to see you as beautiful?”I asked incredulously.“Are you fucking kidding me?”
“I’m telling you that I’m not clueless, Koen,” she snapped back.“After all, I’ve been hearing the truth about my looks all my life.In fact, just ask your friend, Teddy.I’ve been called fat, ugly, plain...I mean, name it, and it’s a guarantee that I’ve heard it all before already.”
