But who am I kidding?
Keeping my cool went out of the window a long time ago.
He is quiet for a while, so long I glance to my right to see his face, which is in thought when he answers, “Even though I would like to say yes, it’s a no.”
I can’t keep the hurt from pinching my heart as he tells me that. I nod. Of course, it wasn’t. That’s too big of a thing to do for someone like me.
Would I even want him to do it for me?
“It was for Lio and me.”
Oh.
“Someone told me I had my priorities wrong. Turns out she was right.” His tone is soft but not weak.
We come to a stand in front of the van, and he looks down at me, his eyes honest and vulnerable, his hand reaching out as if to touch me, but he pulls it back.
“Sounds like a smart woman.” I give him a small smile.
He’s changing things for Lio, for him. And maybe a little bit for me too.
He’s putting in effort.
I can acknowledge that.
“I wouldn’t go that far,” he replies, lifting his brows and making my heart flip.
Is he teasing?
What the...
I bite my lip, nodding before turning to open the van. “Thanks for the run.”
“Blue,” he hums softly, and I turn to look at him again. “I just wanted to say youcancall me. I know I’m not your first choice, and that’s fine. But if you need someone or something, you can always call me. No matter how big or silly you think it is, you can call me, and I’ll pick up. When you don’t want to be alone, I’ll come.Always.”
His offer hangs in the air, and I feel my walls, brick by painstaking brick, begin to crumble. The Jones boys are chipping away at the last of my resolve.
My throat tightens, the sting of unshed tears a sharp contrast to the warmth spreading through my chest. I’ve labeled himthe villain in my story, but villains don’t reach out with such vulnerable honesty. They don’t stand before you, stripped of ego and pride, offering nothing but their presence.
“Thank you,” I whisper, the words barely audible even to my ears. But they’re enough, an acknowledgment of the shift within me, of the possibility I’m not ready to voice but can’t deny either.
As I climb into the van and close the door behind me, I let myself feel it all—the hurt, the hope, the belief. And somewhere deep inside, where I’ve kept my heart guarded, I sense the barriers faltering, the lines blurring.
Maybe, just maybe, I’m ready to stop running.
“So, you’re gonna choose Nash?”Tally practically brims with excitement. She can’t contain herself. She is still giddy about what happened yesterday when Nash declared his love for me in front of everyone, even though the dinner shift has already started and customers are sitting at a table in the back.
Mac, who’s leaning in to hear our conversation from the kitchen counter, chimes in, agreeing with Tally, “That took guts, Mouse. It wasn’t just in front of the town but also his city friends. Everybody knows now thatbabyJones is off the market.”
I let out a laugh. “He’s not off the market.”
They share a glance as if I’m dense.
“What do you think it means when he tells everybody you’re the one, dummy?” Tally rolls her eyes at me.
Wait,he isoff the market.
My eyes go wide, making Mac chuckle. “I think we’re more up-to-date with Mouse’s love life than she is.” He nudges my chin, so I have to look at him. “That means you’re off the market too… just so you know.”
