Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 62783 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 314(@200wpm)___ 251(@250wpm)___ 209(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 62783 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 314(@200wpm)___ 251(@250wpm)___ 209(@300wpm)
And every time I’d said no, trying to protect us both. Because I knew if I got my hands on her again, there would be no pulling us apart. No amount of hate from her father would be able to keep me away from her.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea,” I said, every word searing my chest as it came out. She was the best idea in the world, but me barging into her life and demanding she make space for me that she didn’t have? That wasn’t fair.
Her shoulders dropped, and she took a step out of where I’d still been holding her.
“Okay,” she said, gathering her bag. Her phone chimed in her purse, and she dug it out, swiping open a text. She turned the phone toward me.
Brad: Hungry? I’m free in twenty if you want to grab dinner.
Jealousy shot through my veins, clenching my muscles. They were friends, she’d told me that, but Brad had a coveted, respected spot in her family’s good graces, and I hated him for it on principle.
“Any reason I should tell him no?” she asked, clearly giving me another chance to change my mind. To tell her that the last thing I wanted was her spending time with him instead of me. To tell her that every time we went our separate ways this week it was all I could do to keep myself from texting her and begging her to come over.
I cleared my throat, and shook my head. “Have fun,” I said.
God, I was an asshole.
But she deserved better. So much better.
She sighed, dropped her phone in her purse, and headed toward the door. “You too, James,” she called over her shoulder, the attitude I loved so much about her curling around the formal version of my name, the one she mainly used while I was making her moan. Fuck me.
I stood in the training room far longer than necessary and long after she left, terrified if I took one step in her direction, I’d grab onto her and never let go.
“It’s not our night,” Ridge said by way of answer when I knocked on his door.
“Are you saying you’re busy?” There was every chance he could be. He had a steady number of women dying for his attention on a weekly basis—something about his tattoos and no-bullshit attitude, I think. Sometimes he indulged one or two of them, sometimes he didn’t.
Ridge opened the door to his tattoo parlor, motioning me inside. We headed up the stairs to his loft apartment, and he immediately reached for a beer, offering it to me.
I shook my head, and he cracked it open for himself.
“Solidarity?” he asked.
“Yeah,” I answered, used to his one-worded conversations. I didn’t have to be sober just because Anne was, but ever since she told me about her condition and the addiction that caused it, I didn’t want a drink.
“Interesting,” he said, taking a swig as he headed to his couch in the connected living room.
I took a seat across from him in the lone chair he had. “What’s interesting?”
“That you’re supporting her by not drinking, and yet you’re here with me and not out with her.”
“It’s not a good idea,” I said for probably the hundredth time. Ridge wasn’t Anne’s biggest fan, but after the last couple weeks and everything I’d told him about falling further in friendship with her, he’d lightened up.
“Sure,” he said. “You keep telling yourself that.” He rolled his eyes, taking another drink.
“Want to order a pizza?”
Ridge shrugged. “I could eat.”
I pulled out my phone, ordering our usual.
“Wow,” he said after I put my phone away.
“What?”
“You really are content to hide out here with me instead of chasing down the girl of your dreams?”
My mouth hung open, confusion sliding over my face. “Suddenly you’re team Anne?”
He grunted. “I’m team Jim,” he said. “As ridiculous as that sounds. And I’ve never seen you as happy as I have in the past few weeks. Do I think it could all end badly?” he nodded. “Sure, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try.”
“I’ve told you a hundred times why it can’t work.”
“Yeah, and those reasons may have made sense when you were teenagers, but you’re a grown ass man, even if you’re acting like a child.”
“Ouch,” I said. “Maybe I’ll take my pizza to go.”
Ridge shrugged again, and I contemplated chucking something at his head. It’d be pointless, though. He’d just catch it and throw it back.
“I’m just saying,” he said. “If I had a shot at whatever the hell has been making you all moony-eyed lately, I wouldn’t be sleeping on it.”
I burst out laughing. “That’s hilarious,” I said. “Remind me which relationship of yours lasted past breakfast?”
“I’ve never loved anyone like you love her,” he said, eying me. “Probably never will. But if I found a person who made me as half as excited to go to work as you’ve been? Just to see her?” he shook his head, taking another sip of his beer. “You wouldn’t be able to stop me from shooting my shot.”