I didn’t mean to spill my guts to my roommates, but they happened to be walking into the apartment as I came running toward it. I must have looked like a wreck, because they bundled me between them, walked me up the stairs, and made me confess every detail of the date.
And like the weakling I am, I spilled everything… from how perfect Rhys was to how imperfect our kiss was to… to Tyrell blowing my mind with his mouth and tongue and body and sweet, sweet confession.
“He’s not me.”
Ugh, those words are going to ring through me forever. The way he said them. His husky, deep voice, so vulnerable.
“Thank you,” the man clips, taking the two beers and turning back to his table.
I watch him go, jumping when Jed appears behind me like a stealth ninja and whispers, “I still don’t get why you ran away. That kiss sounded perfect. And it’s Tyrell. I mean, come on, girl. He’s?—”
“Atlas’s best friend,” I grit out.
“That’s not it. And you can’t keep bringing a dead guy into the equation.”
I give him an appalled frown.
“I’m sorry if that sounds harsh. I’m not trying to hurt you, but you need to face up to reality.”
“What do you think I’ve been trying to do!” I hiss, forcing another smile when a customer walks past the bar. “Can I get you anything?”
“No, I’m good for now. Thanks.” She smiles at me, throws Jed an appreciative look, then walks down to her friends at the other end of the bar.
“You want to know what I think?”
“No.” I snatch the towel off his shoulder and start wiping down the already clean bar.
“I think you’ve been desperately trying to move on, and nothing’s really resonated with you until last night. That kiss hit you right in the feels, and now you’re scared shitless because for the first time since losing Atlas, falling for someone else is a very real possibility.”
I go still, my entire body frozen by his confronting words.
“Dani,” he whispers. “Girl, you know I love you. And I want to see you happy. This is what this big move was all about. And happiness is now within your grasp. Snatch that shit and skip into your sunset.”
“What if it doesn’t work out?”
Jed lets out a soft sigh, and I turn to see him shake his head. “Life is all about uncertainties. I can’t tell you if it’s going to work out or not. But I can tell you that you’ll regret it if you curl into a ball and spend the rest of your life trying to protect yourself from pain. Because all that’s gonna cause you is a different kind of pain. A lonely, miserable pain, and I don’t want that for you.”
My stomach churns, my fingers digging into the dish towel.
“Do you want that for you?”
“Of course not,” I rasp. “I just…”
“Need to stop thinking so hard.” He squeezes my shoulder, his booming voice rising with a bright cheerfulness. “Hey, what can I get you tonight?”
I shuffle away from him while he servers another customer and am kind of relieved when two giggling girls skip up to the counter and put in a drinks order. They’re underage, and that uses up my time—a great distraction from my Tyrell problem.
Tyrell.
He passed on my number to Rhys. I got a text from the guy this afternoon, asking when I’d like to catch up again. I told him I was really busy for the next few days and needed to check my schedule at work. I told him I’d let him know… and I still haven’t.
Because Tyrell passed on my number, which means he totally accepted my rejection last night and… Dammit! Why does that sit so ugly in my chest?
I don’t want to catch up with Rhys again.
I want to spend more time with Ty.
Except I don’t, because Jed’s right—it’s freaking terrifying.
