But my brain didn’t hearI’m unavailable and prefer cash.
It heard the same thing I’ve felt from my family for years.
You’re not good enough, Tavi.
Me.
Tavi Lightly, international social media influencer, heiress to one of the world’s largest fortunes, dater of celebrities and athletes and politicians, and a small-town plumber rejected me.
I mean, duh. Of course he did. He has principles and knows what a good family is and cares about things other than how he looks on Instagram and if his last TikTok got enough views to satisfy his sponsor.
I was so mortified I could barely apologize, and I’ve been avoiding him ever since.
More than avoiding him, actually.
Actively ducking him every time I saw him until I made myself follow him to that bunker the other night. I basically had to, because ducking him was the first thing he saw me doafterthe incident in the locker room showers.
And honestly? Continuing to duck him after he thought I was so desperate to get away from him that I’d step in front of a garbage truck instead of saying hi was easier than facing him.
I was raised from birth to know how to be in public with someone when I’m still mortified over something I did to them or in front of them. I know how to pretend it didn’t happen. I was winning beauty pageants before I was old enough to remember the dresses I wore or the feeling of being onstage, and if I could own that world when I was three, then I shouldn’t be twenty-nine and unable to talk to a regular man.
But I couldn’t be around him without feeling like a bigger idiot than I’ve ever felt like before, and it was easier to duck and hide than it was to acknowledge that I have a schoolgirl crush on him.
Now, knowing the full story—It wasn’t you, Tavi. It’s that I’m in love with someone I’ll never have, and I like it that way—I think I like himthat much more.
Dylan Wright has a chink in his armor—maybe several, based on that little dick speech—and despite the fact that I should be offended to the pit of my soul that this nobody would reject me merely becausehe had a crush on someone else, I’m actually swooning more.
This is the sweetest chink ever.
I can’t even imagine if my life were so simple thatI won’t sleep with other people while I’m waiting for the one I lovewas my biggest problem.
“How do men like you actually exist?”
“You’re really loud.”
“I’m whispering.”
“And I still want a tomato.” He shoves to sitting, grabs his head, and sways into me.
I reach my arms around him to steady him, my heart once again doing backflips, and he goes completely still.
Is he going to kiss me?
Or even hug me back?
Does he want some physical solace now?
Is this the moment that I finally hook up with Dylan Wright and work him out of my system by being his rebound?
No, idiot, it’s the moment when you act like a good friend and get your shit together.
I suck in an unsteady breath, and as I’m tightening my grip around him, he twitches.
I drop my arms.
One rejection is enough.
I don’t need to hold on for more.
