Page 47 of Rush

My heart spikes.

“But I can’t date someone like that…like you.”

And plummets.

“Because of my own reasons. But I shouldn’t have said it as a slight against you when I was mouthing off to Thompson.”

I hate the ache I feel in my chest right now.

I know he doesn’t want me. I’ve always known that from the moment I met him.

Sure, he probably thinks I’m fuckable.

I see the way he checks me out sometimes. He’s doing it right now. I’m not blind.

But thinking someone is screwable is completely different to seeing them as dating material.

I am the complete opposite of what he wants.

I know this.

So, why is it bothering me so much?

I get to have him as a friend, and that is huge. I don’t have many…okay, I don’t have any friends. But, now, I have him and, because of him, Missy, too. And that means everything.

“So, am I forgiven?” he asks in a gentle voice.

Knowing that he cares enough to come here and apologize makes up for everything that happened this morning and in his truck on the way home.

“Sure.” I smile, and so does he.

“Does that mean I can come in now?”

“Oh. Okay.” I step back, letting him into my place. “How did you get in my building?” I ask, closing the door as he makes his way over to my sofa.

“Your neighbor let me up on his way out,” he tells me as he removes his jacket, laying it over the arm of the sofa and sitting himself down, kicking off his shoes.

I love how comfortable he already is in my apartment.

“Great security,” I quip.

“He’s a Giants fan.”

“He would be.” I roll my eyes, and he chuckles.

“Are you hungry?” he asks me.

After that workout, I’m starving. “Yep.”

“You like pizza?”

“Does the Pope shit in the woods?”

He bursts out laughing. “I knew there was a reason I liked you, Jailbird,” he crows. “Shit, now, I wanna watch The Big Lebowski.”

“Nope, we’re watching Dexter,” I tell him. “Because you’ve made me wait nearly a whole week to watch the next episode, and I’m dying here.”

“You mean, you didn’t cheat on me and watch it already?” His laughter has stopped, and the tone in his voice is so serious, it makes me stop and look at him.