Brad had reachedthe end of the street before he realized it.
What the hell had just happened? What the hell had stopped him from telling her that he cared too?
He headed for the cabin in long angry strides.
She loved him. Why had those words scared him so much? Macy had just stood there, looking so fucking sweet he’d wanted to hold her, and told him she loved him, and that he needed to learn to love himself.
“Seriously?”
Picking up the pace, he was soon jogging along the road out of town. He needed the exercise. Anything to clear his head so he could think straight.
He’d thought he’d come around to liking himself, believed he’d taken huge leaps in turning himself into someone he could respect, and yet she wanted him to love himself. Because until he did, he couldn’t love anyone else.
“Whatever the fuck that means.”
“You swearing at anyone in particular?”
Brad stumbled, then righted himself as Newman drew alongside him.
“What the fuck are you doing?”
“Running, like you, al-although your pace is a bit fierce. C-can we pull it back?”
Brad eased back.
“I like to walk about in the dark, always have since I was old enough to be allowed,” Newman said.
“You’re weird.”
“You’re Texan, so ditto.”
Brad snorted, and thought that he should think it strange to be running down the road in the dark with his brother’s friend, but it wasn’t. This was Howling after all, they did weird here.
“Macy okay?”
“Sure.”
“We know something went down, but not what. Cubby just said it was nasty, and that piece-of-shit ex of hers was behind it.”
Brad grunted.
“So thanks.”
“For what?”
“Looking out for her. And you have our permission.”
“For what?”
“For you and her to get loved up.”
He ran a few paces before he answered that.
“Not going to happen.”
“It should. You guys are a good fit, but if you’re too dumb to see that, then that’s your problem.”
“Fuck you.”
