“Like what?”
“I don’t know.Anything,” I said. “Just…tell me somethingreal.”
“Something real,” he echoed, and I nodded, my eyes locked on his in what could be perceived as a challenge. He started walking backward toward his Jeep. “I recently got a dog.”
I rolled my eyes playfully with a breathy chuckle. “Adog? That’s what you’re giving me?” He shrugged, still walking. “What kind of dog?” I called out.
“A rescue. Golden retriever. His name is Maverick.”
“A golden retriever. That seems fitting for you.”
“What’s that mean?”
I chuckled. “Nothing. Goodnight, Blake.”
I slid into the driver’s seat of my Jeep, closing the door behind me, and I watched through my window as he climbed into his own, sealing himself behind the lightly tinted glass when he shut his door.
And I suddenly found myself wondering what exactly it would take to get Blake Pierson to open up.
Chapter 15
My eyes dartedfrom my lunch to where Haley sat across the table in the breakroom, notes and index cards strewn around her, not a crumb of food in sight.
I couldn’t help but watch her—the way her brow slightly pinched in concentration, the way her lips moved ever so slightly when she read to herself, the way she closed her eyes when trying to retrieve some piece of information from her mind.
“When’s your exam?” I asked.
“Two weeks,” she answered, not even looking up from her notes.
“You feel ready?”
“No.” She let out a derisive laugh as she finally looked at me. “Am I supposed to?”
I couldn’t help but chuckle. “I don’t think anyone ever feels truly prepared for boards, no matter what kind they are or how much you study.”
“That wasn’t very helpful,” she quipped.
“Do you have a study group or any friends you’re studying with?”
“No. Just me, myself, and I.”
“I always found studying with others easier. It took some of the pressure off in a way.”
“I tried that once with Marie, and we ended up bullshitting the whole time.” She chuckled. “Fun, yes, but not very productive on my end.”
“Well, based on how I’ve seen you two act around each otherhere, that tracks,” I jested.
Haley snorted before looking back down at her index cards.
I knew how boring it was, studying alone, quizzing yourself in silence with barely a break.
“I could help you study.” The words just slipped out, freezing me in place.Why the fuck did I just say that?
And when she lifted her gaze back to mine, she seemed just as surprised as I was by my offer. “You…you would do that?”
“Uh, yeah,” I said, but it sounded more like a question than an answer. “Yeah, I could help. If you want, that is.”
When she smiled, I knew I was fucked with getting out of it.
