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“I’m fine, just... I need to get caught up here. You know, get back to work...”
Karla’s gaze steadied as she squinted, sizing me up.
If she could tell I was lying, she didn’t show it. Instead, she nodded and said, “Okay, Nolan. But I’m watching you.” She pointed between us sarcastically.
“Yeah, yeah, I get it,” I said as my email started to sound, the whistle of work calling me. I stared at my inbox, a part of me hoping to see an email from Dawson. He loved to blow up my inbox with insults and nitpicks about the claims of his I’d checked.
But my shoulders sunk when I saw nothing. Nothing from anyone other than Karla and Regional, anyway.
Certainly not anything from Dawson Richards.
I let out a breath, leaning back in my chair. I wanted to reach out, apologize for what an ass I’d been... but I also didn’t want to appear overbearing, or cliché.
I’ve never done this before, or I don’t usually act like this is definitely cliché. Worse, it’s juvenile. I’m a twenty-eight year old adult. I’ve certainly done this before.
Enough to know that it was probably better I leave Dawson alone for a day or two, let things smooth over, let him have time to forget what happened. Forget me.
And maybe I should forget him too. Be happy we’d had a decent time before I blew everything to smithereens.
I took another long pull of my iced coffee, checking the clock on my computer screen. Four more hours left in this day, surely I could manage that.
CHAPTER 20
Nolan
I stared at my phone, at the text thread that remained empty. He hadn’t texted me, and I hadn’t made a move to do so either. Instead, I’d only stared at that blank text bubble all day as if I could magically wield the words on screen. Words that would somehow fix this, erase my embarrassing behavior, and put us back to square one.
In the woods.
Where I could lose the race, and the chance to have ever been so close to such perfection. Where I could exist not knowing how good his lips tasted against mine.
I set the phone down on the bar as I pushed away for a moment, grabbing my beer as I glanced around the room.
I didn’t come to M’s Place often, but after feeling like shit all day at work about everything—my botched date, my job, my life in general—I didn’t want to go home.
When I found myself in front of the bar, I didn’t question it. It wasn’t the same as being with someone, or talking to someone, but it beat going home alone to wallow.
Wallowing at a bar is what normal people do anyway, isn’t it?
That was when I saw him.
With someone else.
Instinctively, I felt a sting of jealousy, mixed with sadness and anger.
I knew I didn’t have a claim on Dawson, that he was free to do whatever he wanted with whoever he wanted, but even knowing that I couldn’t help it.
Especially when the guy he was with was absolutely gorgeous compared to me. Toned, defined form, golden blond hair... He looked like a Calvin Klein model or something. Not to mention the two seemed pretty comfortable with one another, smiling and laughing.
Which only made me feel worse.
How could I have been so stupid?
Dawson had said he hadn’t been on a date in awhile, and I wanted to believe him, but was I that easily played?
He probably told all the guys that. It was probably part of his charm or act.
I drained the last of my beer, feeling like I needed to get out of the place.
