“That’s not?—”
“Alex fucked you over. He took something private and made it public and destroyed your ability to trust people. I get that. But I’m not him.”
“I know you’re not.”
“Then why are you treating me like I’m going to betray you the second things get complicated?”
“That’s not what I’m doing.”
“Then what are you doing?”
I look at him, and I don’t have an answer.
“I’m trying to protect both of us,” I say finally.
“From what?”
“From making a mistake that destroys everything we’ve both worked for.”
“That kiss wasn’t a mistake, Noah. And you know it.”
“It doesn’t matter what I know. It matters what I can prove. And I can’t prove that this…whateverthisis…won’t blow up in our faces.”
“So you’re just going to keep pushing me away.”
“Yes.”
He stares at me then finally nods.
“Okay. If that’s what you need to do.”
He heads for the door, and I should let him go. Should let this end here, cleanly, before it gets any more complicated.
Instead, I hear myself say, “Danny.”
He stops. Doesn’t turn around.
“I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“For kissing you. For making this harder than it needs to be.”
“You’re not sorry you kissed me. You’re sorry you can’t figure out how to let yourself want it.”
He leaves, and I’m alone in my office with the uncomfortable truth of what he just said.
He’s right.
I’m not sorry I kissed him. I’m sorry I can’t be the kind of person who takes that risk. Who chooses what I want over what’s safe.
I sit down at my desk and try to focus on work.
But all I can think about is the way he tasted. The way his hands felt. The way I felt, for those few seconds, like I could finally breathe.
And the way I felt when I pushed him away.
Like I’d just made the biggest mistake of my life.
