Page 7 of Nail Me Down

“What’s that?”

“I’m not sad for the reason I probably should be.”

“What does that mean?”

“I should be sad that my boyfriend’s a cheating asshole, right?”

I just nod. That seems like the right answer here.

“But I’m not sad about that.” She shakes her head, almost in disbelief. “I’m mourning my morality.”

At that confession, she must read confusion on my face because she goes on to explain, “I’m sad that I’m relieved.”

“What are you relieved about?”

With a deep inhale, she straightens her shoulders a little and looks me dead in the eye. “I’m relieved that whatever that relationship was is now over. It hasn’t been…anything healthy for around six months. We haven’t even had…” she drops her gaze and I take a step closer.

“What, Holly?” We’re toe to toe, and I’m desperate to touch her. Waiting. I don’t want to look too eager. She’s literally breaking up with a guy this minute. What does that make me? A vulture? Damn. But I’m gone for her. I’ll do whatever she needs.

My hands are on her waist, loosely, and when she settles her hands on my forearms, I realize that this is what she needs right now. I’m moving at her pace.

Her eyes meet mine and pin me in place. I couldn’t move if the business my five brothers and I own, Briggs Construction Company, arranged for a demolition crew to come in and start knocking down all the walls around us.

“He touched me more tonight, in front of you, than he has in months.”

I wait.

“I don’t know why I stayed with him. It wasn’t a good time to break up because he said he was stressed at work, so I thought it would pass. But as I waited, my feelings for him slowly leaked out. Tonight was way past the final straw. Even before that phone call. When…”

“When he came back with those flowers?”

“How did you know?”

“I could see it all over your face, Holly.”

“But…you don’t even like me. Why would you notice that?”

A cough resembling an unamused chuckle huffs out of me. “You don’t think I like you?”

“No. You never come around. If you do, you’re always grumpy. You don’t look at me—”

“Check my phone, Holly.” I have to tell her. This move is sink or swim, but I have to try.

“What?”

“Here.” I unlock my phone. “Look at my photos.”

She clicks open the photos and sees the recent shots of her.

“You were supposed to delete those.”

“You think I’ll ever delete those?” I pull her in a little closer, leaving a small wisp of a gap between us.

“You won’t?”

“No, Holly. I’m keeping those. You in that tiny, hot pink bikini got me so hard—”

My phone clatters to the island as she reaches up with both hands. She doesn’t have to drag me down for a kiss. My arms tighten around her and our lips crash together.