“Stop being an ass.”
Yep.
I just said that with an audience.
While I was provoked into this conversation, it’s starting to feel like my mouth has taken on a life of its own. Confident,capable, in-charge baseball coach Addie has left the building, andAddie who finally says all of the things she thinkshas taken her place.
Stop talking, I order myself.
A giggle in the back of my brain is the only answer I get.
What thehell?
“Maybe if you’d let someonehelp youfor once in your life, the people around you wouldn’t feel the need to beasses.” Duncan’s icy tone has turned sunburn hot.
“Oh my gosh, Addie, your shoulder was itching!” Waverly exclaims. “Which shoulder was it? I’ve got it.”
“Good luck with that,” Duncan mutters.
Like that was our problem. That I wouldn’t let him do enough for me.
When the real problem was that I liked him more than I’ve ever liked any man in my life, and it was terrifying.
I liked him enough that I kept agreeing to see him even while that little alarm in the back of my head was reminding me that the longer you go, the harder it is to extricate yourself. That the man he showed me every day likely wasn’t the man he’d be for the rest of his life.
Everyone’s on their best behavior when you first start dating. But what about three years down the road? And five? And fifteen? When you have kids together and one of you is carrying the entire load of doing everything for the kidsandher husband while trying to have her own career too and she’s so tired and worn down that when she says she wants to go on a Caribbean cruise and he saysno, I won’t be stuck on a boat with that many people, so she just saysokayand drops her dreams and desires instead of going by herself or with a group of friends instead, and then she never gets to go because he always told her no and she always listened.
Shit.
Get out of your head, Addie. This isn’t about Mom.
Waverly scratches at my spine just above my dress.
Both of my shoulders hitch, sending a jolt of pain through my left shoulder that I actively ignore.
Cooper’s looking between me and Duncan, wide-eyed and clearly amused. “Can you make sure your uncle doesn’t have any glitter bombs at his house?” he murmurs to Paisley.
Freaking Cooper. I channel some innertake no bullshitand look him square in the eye. “I thought you were never saying the wordglitteragain after what Waverly did to your house to prove to you who’s top prank dog.”
“Desperate times require interventions.”
“I don’t do pranks with players. Onanyteam.” Even if I sometimes want to. That’s one line I still don’t feel comfortable crossing. Despite how comfortable I feel with the entire Fireballs staff.
Cooper’s eyes are absolutely sparkling with mischief. “Yet. Everyone has a tipping point.”
“I—oh yes,right there. You’re a goddess. Thank you,” I say to Waverly.
She’s found the itch, and she’s scratching it.
It’s not helping as much as I’d like, probably because the source of the itch is still standing there beside me. Doesn’t matter that I’m not looking at him.
He’s still there.
He’s still staring at me.
And his niece is staring at me too.
One of Waverly’s security detail takes my empty glass and hands me a refill.
