“Absolutely not.” She sets a hand on her hip. “You’ll get hurt.”
I don’t interpret her stubborn defiance as concern.
She doesn’t care about me. That much was evident with her line of questioning earlier.
“I won’t get hurt. I’m going to climb into the driver’s seat through the passenger door.”
Alex stares at my outstretched palm, mouth set in a firm line.
I wish my stupid heart wouldn’t beat harder as she licks her lips, but it keeps confusingthisAlex with the one I shared an incredible kiss with years ago. Whatever potential chance I had withthatAlex, it’s clearthis onehates my guts.
Which is fine, because after that horrendous interview, I don’t like her much either. Regardless, I’m still not going to abandon her with a flat tire and a cranky snake.
“You’re still going to help me?”
I nod, twitching my fingers in a gimme motion.
“Why?”
My head drops back with a nasally exhale. “Keys, please.”
“No.” She crosses her arms. “I should move the car. First off, it’s my rental, my responsibility. Secondly, I’m smaller than you—”
“Barely,” I interrupt.
Alex tilts her chin as she crowds closer, her crossed arms nearly brushing my chest. “I may only be a few inches shorter than you, but I’m still smaller.”
“Fair.” I try to ignore the rushing blood in my ears, how it feels like my skin is on fire.
Alex’s eyes dart over my face as she takes a deep breath. “I deleted the footage from earlier. Or rather, I asked Daphne to delete it, and I trust her. Our interview won’t run.”
The emotional whiplash from this conversation is making my neck hurt. “Why?”
“That question seems to be going around a lot. How about you answer myWhy,and I’ll answer yours.”
I eye her. “You go first.”
Alex sighs but says, “Because it was inappropriate. I want to make my mark as a journalist, but digging into your personal life isn’t the way to do it. You might be a player—”
“The only thing I’m playing is baseball.”
She levels me with a flat look. “You might have frequent, short-term relationships, but as you mentioned, it hasn’t affected your game. If it does, that might warrant a question…or several.”
I nod, letting silence sit between us for several beats as we survey each other. The desert breeze pulls a strand of hair over Alex’s chin, and I’m annoyed when my disobedient fingers itch to brush it away. She’s the one to break our intense eye contact, digging her fingers into her crossbody purse and pulling out keys.
“Now answer my why,” she demands, clenching the keychain in her palm.
“It’s the right thing to do.”
Alex waits, her brows slipping upward.
I remember this from that first night, her pausing with this exact expression, waiting for me to fill the space between us. Just like then, I don’t. It’s the only time in my life I’ve neverfelt the need to. Something about Alex just…settles that endless whirring in the back of my head. I could stand in this silent standoff for the rest of the night and be content.
Which honestly…
Is nothing short of revelatory.
“Fine,” she huffs, turning to march toward the passenger door.
