Lachlan
She sure is.
My cousin, a hopeless romantic at heart.
I pocketed my phone, feeling a smile tug at my face at the thought of how this had played out. It may not be ideal, but it was going to happen anyway. She may not want me the way I want her anymore, but if I could be her friend again…I’d take that.
“Hartwell!”
I spun on my heel, right in time to see Archie come bounding up. I knew he was here, and if I was being honest, he was the last person I wanted to see tonight. Not after our last interaction, but I gave him a welcoming smile. I knew he played a part in getting me back in the game, so I forced myself to play nice.Remember Hartwell, only things he’d want to hear.
“Hey Archie,” I said, putting on my best voice.
“Great show tonight,” he cheered.
“Thanks, man.” My stomach twisted. I wasn’t used to this anymore, but I could still feel my chest swell with the praise.
“Half expected to see Compton here with you. Where is your girl?” He caught up to me, slightly out of breath with that same stupid, cocky grin on his face.
I inhaled, holding the air in my lungs.
“She uh”—I let out a breath of air—“she’s doing her own thing. Probably prepping for the NFR.”
“She’s top spot, I saw. Can’t believe it. Well—ha, no, I can. You two sure did help each other out, didn’t you?”
I stopped and flinched, feeling the zing of anger run up my spine. The last time we spoke, it took everything in me to play the part and roll with it, tell him all the things he wanted to hear to help get my career back on track. And at the time…it worked. But now…it took everything in me not to punch him again. That would only put me right back to where I started.
“What?”
Archie answered with a laugh.
I raised a single brow, turning to face him. “Do you remember why I punched you in the first place?”
He chuckled, his thumb reaching up to touch the side of his nose. “Yeah, I do. Laughable now, really—”
“Why is it laughable?”
“Don’t be an ass, Hartwell.”
My eyes widened as my eyebrows rose, and I suddenly didn’t give two shits about what he wanted to hear. Playing the part lasted all but three minutes. Why play a part when I could be the man Quinn helped me become?
I took a deep breath, feeling my shoulders rise and fall as I released the tension that had been building since Archie called my name.
“You think she used me to get to where she is, and that I used her to get back in the booth?” I used my thumb to point behind my shoulder.
Archie furrowed his brow. “Come on. That was your game—”
“I was never playing a game. You’re the ass who was assuming the worst from someone you didn’t even know. If you ask me, you kinda deserved that punch. She didn’t need me or anyone else to get to where she is now. That happened all on her own. And me…well,”—I shrugged—“I’m not sure what miracle got me back here, or if you had any part to play in it, but I can tell you it wasn’t because I was using her. She’s too strong to be thrown around like that. She would have had my ass handed to me. Now that I think of it, she almost did. We helped each other sure—but not in the ways you’re accusing us of.” Shoving my hands in my pockets, I took a step towards him.
“You really expect me to believe you settled down with her? That she picked you—”
“I do. She did. You know we’re together—” I clenched my teeth. “Weweretogether, and Arch—I’ll never stop defending her, even though she doesn’t particularly want to be near me right now, which I also have you to thank for, in a way.” I yanked my hand out of my pocket and gestured to him, palm up, before shoving it back in my pocket. “I won’t punch you again, but just…have a bit more respect. Stop talking about my girl.”
Archie raised a brow. “You’re serious?”
“I’ve figured a lot of things out within the last year—including how to be a tad bit serious from time to time. So yeah…don’t talk about my girl.”
His lips parted as he held my stare, then after a few moments of pregnant silence, he finally said, “Got it. I won’t be at the NFR but…congratulate her for me, yeah?”
