Page 91 of Worth the Shot

Emma grins. “As long as you promise to bring her back in one piece.”

“Better than before,” Brennan says, hooking his pinky out, “always.”

She links hers with his, sealing it.

He turns, his hand firm around mine, and leads me toward the dance floor. Make You Feel My Love by Adele pours from the speakers, soft and steady, like the universe queued it up just for us. And maybe it did. The moment his hand settles on my hip, the world starts to fall away.

“Is this okay?” he asks, and I nod as his other hand links with mine.

He spins me gently, unhurried, like he isn’t trying to show me off, just keep me close. When I come back to him, I fold easily into his chest, my forehead pressing against his collarbone, my cheek resting where his heartbeat lives. The room is full. I know it is. There’s laughter somewhere, glasses clinking, shoes sliding against the floor. But it all fades into a dull, distant hum. The music dulls too. All I can hear—all I can feel—is him. The steady thud of his heart beneath my ear. Strong. Certain. Alive. A quiet, overwhelming sense of possessiveness washes over me. Not the jealous or fearful kind, but something deeper. Something protective. This heart may belong to me someday, and not because I claimed it, but because he gave it. I tighten my arms around him, silently promising the same thing he’s given me without ever asking for it in return. If that day comes, if it’s meant to be us in the end, I will keep this heart safe. Just like he does mine.

Chapter Thirty-Six

Delaney

“I’ll be right back,” I whisper to Brennan.

For half a second, his hand tightens around mine, just enough to tell me he doesn’t want to let go, but he will anyway. He offers me a half-smile, the kind that doesn’t come naturally but he knows I need to see. The kind that says I trust you even when it might hurt. He slips his hands into his pockets like he might be nervous and says, softly, “I’ll be here. You know I always will, Laney.”

The look in his eyes splits me clean in two. I don’t want him to have to worry or doubt us, but this is way overdue and something I have to do alone. So I let go of his hand and I meet his eyes. “I know,” I say.

His smile softens and his eyes drift over me, studying me. “Go,” he says, and it’s not a command, but encouragement.

So I do.

I’m sure he thinks I didn’t see him, but I did. I felt his eyes on Brennan and me before I ever looked. I tried not to, but I did anyway. He’s devastatingly handsome, the way he’s always been. It’s familiar, almost disarming, and something in me stirs, just slightly. The faintest flutter, but it’s there. Maybe for a life that never became what either of us thought it would, maybe for more. I take a deep breath and I walk toward him, feeling more ready than I ever thought I could be. If we’re going to coexist, because clearly we are, then this needs to happen.

“Matt?” I say, stepping up beside him at the bar.

He turns, and for a split second my heart aches for the girl I was once and the future that never materialized. “Wow. Delaney,” he says, steadying himself. “Hey. It’s really good to see you.” His voice is even. Controlled.

“Yeah,” I answer, a small, bitter laugh slipping out before I can stop it. “I guess you could say that.”

His expression falters, just slightly, like the effort of pretending is already wearing thin. He clears his throat, glancing around the room like he’s searching for an exit. Or maybe just someone who isn’t me. “I’m not sure if you’ve seen my calls…or maybe you just—Do you think we could talk somewhere more private?” he asks quietly. I nod. I don’t want this to become tomorrow’s headline any more than he does.

We move through the hallway, down the stairs, into the family room. The irony isn’t lost on me. Standing here, in this room, with a man I thought I’d have it all with. He gestures for me to sit on the couch and pulls a chair up across from me, positioning himself directly in front of me like this deserves his full attention.

“I guess I have a lot of explaining to do,” he says, rubbing the back of his neck. Still not quite meeting my eyes. Typical.

“That would be great. Start from the top, please. Like, preferably the part where you left and never even called or texted. Not once, Matt. Why?”

“Yes, I’ll explain it all. I owe you at least that.”

“Okay,” I say, folding my arms and leaning back. “Go on.”

I listen, hanging on to every word he says, because my heart needs the truth. This is the closure I’ve been searching for. The thing that finally lets me put this chapter to rest, so I can start looking forward instead of back.

“A part of me was happy to take the deal.” The words tumble out like he didn’t mean to be that honest all at once. My heart slams into my ribs. Heat flashes through me in the form of anger and betrayal but I let him continue. “I needed to leave this place. This town. It’s all I’d known my entire career. And you…” He pauses. “I needed to leave you. At least that’s what I thought at the time.”

“Oh, this just keeps getting better,” I say, sarcasm sharp.

“I know how that sounds⁠—”

“Like you’re a massive dick?”

He winces. “Yes. But please, just let me finish.”

I gesture for him to continue.