Page 105 of Risking the Pucking Defense

“So, are you a thing or what?” Bea asks as she reaches for a piece of garlic bread.

“No, nothing like that. We’re…I don’t know. We can’t be a thing. She’s the PR Director, and I’m a rookie. We shouldn’t be anything.”

“Fuck that, if it’s meant to be then⁠—”

Both Bea and I stare at Rett with open mouths.

“Who is he, and what has he done with Everett Donnelly?”

Bea sniggers. “I think he found his romantic side.”

“That massive bunch of flowers over there certainly points toward that being the case,” I tease.

“Alright, laugh it up. I know things are shitty right now, but you light up when you talk about her, man. I know it’s not the ideal situation with work and that, but it could be something if you give it a chance.”

“What does Hailee want?”

I shrug. “I don’t know. She says that we can’t be doing what we’re doing, but then we keep doing it, so…”

“Know that feeling,” Bea says under her breath, glancing at Rett.

“Some things are just too good to turn down,” he says, shooting her a wink.

“There’s so much we haven’t talked about. So much about her that I don’t know. And aside from work, the age difference.”

“That’s bullshit, and you know it,” Rett states. “After what you’ve lived through, you’re more than mature enough to handle Hailee. And if you’re not, you can guarantee she’ll put you in your place.”

“I quite like it when she does.”

“Overshare.” Bea laughs before turning a little more serious. “Forget all the reasons why it shouldn’t work for a minute. Deep down, what do you want?”

I don’t need to think about her question. The answer is possibly the easiest one I’ve ever given.

“Hailee. Any way I can have her.”

“Right,” Rett says, leaning forward and resting his elbows on the table. “Then we need to find a way to make sure that happens.”

“And you need to talk to her. Really talk to her. Find out what she wants, too. If you’re going to do this, you both need to be on the same page.”

“And what if she doesn’t?” I ask, fear trickling through me.

“Then you need to do everything you can to prove her wrong,” Bea says, as if doing so is the easiest thing in the world.

“Is that her?” Bea asks hopefully as I pull my cell from my pocket and stare at the screen.

“No,” I say, unable to keep the dejected tone from my voice. Every time I’ve felt it vibrate, my heart has lurched with hope. But as of yet, not a single one of my notifications has been from Hailee, and my patience is running out.

“Just message her,” Rett says.

“I don’t want to be too eager.”

“Why not? If you want her, there’s no harm in letting her know.”

Bea shakes her head in disbelief. “If you were reading this storyline in a book, what would the main male character do?”

I slump back on the couch, pretending to think for a moment. The truth is, I don’t need to think; I already know the answer. He would chase her, show her that he wants her, and prove to her that he can’t get her out of his fucking head.

It sounds simple, but putting it into reality is very, very different.