He firmly cuffed my wrists with his hands.
Immediately, I calmed.Which pissed me off.Because at that point, he was the last person I wanted to need.
“Yes, and not one had staying power.Not one.You need to walk in there with your head held high, knowing exactly what you mean to me.”
I shook my head.“I can’t go back in there.”
He made no effort to move my hands away from my face but held my wrists tighter.Every extra bit of pressure calmed me further.
“You’re not the one who should be embarrassed,” he hissed.
I scoffed.“Who should be embarrassed?You?”
“Why should I be embarrassed?All I did was ask a woman out on a date.”
That fact twisted in my guts.I ripped my wrists from his hands and turned away.
I shook my hands in front of me, my cheeks wet with tears.What did it matter if he saw me now?He’d already seen me exposed in every possible way a woman could be.He knew he had my heart.What did it matter now if he watched it break?
I closed my eyes.
Did it really matter?In the whole grand scheme of things, did it really matter?So, they dated.Obviously it hadn’t worked out.
Why didn’t it work out?
“When?”
“When what?”
“When did you ask her out?Did you guys date when she was away?”
His silence prompted me to ask again, my voice harder.“When?”
Turning to face him, I lifted my chin.
“Last winter.A week or so after the Christmas party.”
“Oh, wow,” I breathed.That recent.
It hit me all at once.
The only reason they were not dating was because Noelle chose Hawkley.
Which made me second choice.
Benchwarmer.
The Back-up.
Plan B.
I worked to keep my voice even.“I never wanted to be that girl.I told you,” my breath hitched but I swallowed the sob and continued, “I told you to leave me alone.”
Cupping my face in his hands, he bent to meet my eyes.“Harley, what is it you want from me?”he asked, exasperated.“I’ve splayed myself open.I’m not going anywhere.I don’t want to.”
“I need to be chosen…”
He cut me off with a disbelieving laugh.“Nobody forced you on me.I worked harder than I ever have in my life to be your man.”
