Colin: If you’re sleeping with someone else, there’s going to be hell to pay.
Dani’s voice dropped low. “Tessa. He’s unhinged. Don’trespond, make him think that sexy cowboy is railing your brains out,” she said again, smirking.
I pressed my hands to my forehead as Dani moved closer, gentler now. “Tell me the rest.”
“There is no rest,” I said hollowly. “I’m just tired. I’m terrified. And Wyatt…” I squeezed my eyes shut. “He’s confusing.”
“You like him.”
“No.”
“You’re starting to trust him.”
“Absolutely not.”
“It’s okay that you wanted him to stay.”
I swallowed hard. “I wanted him to go,” I whispered. “Because if he stayed, I didn’t know what I was going to let happen.”
“You’re human, you’re allowed to have those kinds of feelings,” Dani said with a smile.
“I broke up with my long-term boyfriend two weeks ago, and I don’t really think I should be jumping into anything else.” I should have added the fact that I’d moved home at the drop of a hat, and the only parent I’d ever known was gone. This wasn’t the time to jump into bed with some man I didn’t even know.
“Live a little, Tess. We both know you’ve been mentally out of your relationship for over a year. Like, when was the last time you had lackluster sex with that asshole?” Dani reached for another can of beer and cracked it open.
“He lied to me. When he came to the city to get me, he lied to me,” I said as I slumped back in the chair and crossed my arms. The light in the center of the room buzzed gently, and the refrigerator hummed in the silence.
“He omitted the truth to protect your emotions. Sounds pretty thoughtful to me.” She shrugged.
“I can’t believe you’re on his side.”
“I’m not on his side, but I am trying to get you to see that maybe he’s not the big bad wolf you think he is.”
“Go back to the city, you’re not helping.” I pointed to the door and glared at her.
“Sorry, bestie, you’re stuck with me.” Dani laughed as she grinned at me.
Twenty
Wyatt
Ishould’ve known the morning was going too damn smooth.
Kegs checked. Deliveries logged. Coffee is still hot. No calls from Holt. No suspicious vehicles. Just me and a quiet brewery before the doors officially opened.
Then the front door opened, and in walked trouble.
Pink-haired, five-foot-two, trouble in combat boots and eyeliner, scanning the room like she was casing the place. Dani, Tessa’s roommate. The same woman who once slammed a door in my face, screamed-whispered at Tessa behind it, and called me a creep loud enough for the entire hallway to hear.
She spotted me instantly.
Her whole body stilled.
“Oh,” she said, voice dropping with dramatic venom. “There you are, I thought you’d be harder to track down.”
Fuck, I groaned to myself.
“Morning, Dani.”
