“It is! It—”
“Tell me the truth, Scarlett.”
“I’m…” My eyes dart toward the pub door as if it might explode at any second. “He’s tried to apologize so many times, and I kept pushing him away, and—”
“And you’re scared he won’t ask again.”
Vanessa snorts softly. “He definitely should learn the meaning of the word ‘no.’?”
She raises her hands in defeat when I glare at her.
Paige lowers her voice. “Just go in, have a beer. Say hi. And if he’s a jerk, I’ll pour my drink over his head, okay?”
That earns her a reluctant chuckle, though it dies quickly as I glance at the door again. I take a hesitant step forward. “Fine. But if this goes horribly wrong, I’m blaming you.”
“Deal.” Paige grabs my arm and practically drags me toward the door. Vanessa follows at a safe distance, saying something about needing a drink herself.
As we step inside, the pub’s warmth envelops us like a scratchy wool blanket. The scent of fried food and stale beer hits me first, followed by the hum of overlapping voices and the occasional clink of glasses.
And then I see him.
Rafael, effortlessly casual, one hand wrapped around a beer, the other tucked into his pocket. He laughs, low and easy, as he leans slightly toward a brunette. Her curls cascade down her bare shoulders, catching the light.
He’s flirting with her.
Rafael is flirting with some woman.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Paige says, her voice low but sharp enough to pierce through the din of the pub.
I step back in reflex, colliding with someone behind me. The next thing I know, a cascade of glasses falls to the floor, the crash of shattering glass and sloshing drinks cutting through the pub like a gunshot. Every pair of eyes is on me in a second, including Rafael’s and those of the woman next to him, who I realize is Tanya, the previous host ofPassion & Pages.
The smile slips from Rafael’s face. His lips part, and though I can’t hear him over the ringing in my ears, I see it clearly—my name.
My heart lurches as he takes a step toward me, his beer forgotten on the bar.
I can’t do this.
I spin around, nearly knocking into Paige, who barely has time to grab my arm.
“Scarlett, wait—”
But I’m gone. I shove through the pub door and break into a run,the sound of my ragged breaths and pounding heart drowning out everything else.
I knew it. I knew I was right about him, and I knew that letting him past my walls—my safe, comfortable walls—would only allow him to break my heart.
Behind me, I hear the door creak open, then Rafael’s voice, faint but unmistakable. “Scarlett!”
I don’t stop. I can’t.
“Scarlett, wait!” He catches up, a hand hovering close—so close—but not actually touching me, as if he’s afraid I might combust on impact. “It’s not what you think, Iswear.”
“Isn’t it?”
“No.” He keeps up with me as I walk. “It’s just work. A previous employee could still have access to the podcast and all the motive to want to destroy it.”
Just work.
“Really?” I laugh, though it’s humorless. “So you weren’t flirting?”
