“And you’re—” I point at myself with both hands. “This. You’re attracted tothis.”
Sienna leans back, eyeing me up and down as if I’m the morning’s second course. “Oh, hell yes.”
She picks her fork back up, entirely unfazed by the bombshell she dropped.
“Not to make this weird. Though, full disclosure, I’m excellent at that.” She grins. “But I’ve watched you let those man-children drown out your voice all weekend.” She stabs the table for emphasis. “And honestly? It’s pissing me off. You’re too fucking good at what you do to let those clowns mess with you.”
I stare at her, dumbfounded, making sure my flopping goldfish mouth is closed.
This woman. Who I spent three days assuming was the Final Boss in the video game, “The Cole Hartwell Hookup.” This woman who turns salt-crusted field gear into high fashion. And saves sea lions(plus my rival’s life)without breaking a sweat.
“You’re—” I stop. Start again. “You’re intome?”
I sound like an embarrassing broken record, and my face is on fire.
“Yes. Been stupidly obvious from my end. Apparently, not from yours. Guess I need to be around humans more.”
“I just… have youseenyou?”
“Daily.”
She looks at me adoringly.
“Ivy, you’re one of a kind. You walk into a room, and it reorganizes itself around you. You don’t half-ass anything. You care so much about getting it right, you don’t even realize you’re a full lap ahead.”
My throat closes.
“Sienna—”
“I’m not asking for anything.” She waves her utensil dismissively. “Not a date. Not a conversation about it. I’m telling you because for the last three days you’ve treated yourself like the supporting act.” She pauses. “You’re the headline, Ivy.”
She points at my muffin.
“Eat. You look like you’re about to faint, and I am not performing CPR twice in one weekend, even for someone as sexy as you.”
I pick up the muffin.
Put it down.
“Okay, so—wait, no. I need to admit something mortifying. I may disintegrate into a pile of awkward dust—but—I’ll say it. I’ve been jealous of you. Not a ‘she’s gorgeous’ kind of jealous—the kind where I look at you and feel like a diseased pigeon standing next to a radiant flamingo. And—and—I was jealous that I thoughtyouwere going after Cole. Because, uh, we had this thing, this seven-hour, mind-blowing, ‘I might never walk right again’ thing. But you being you, all effortless and cool, I was just—waiting to be pushed aside.”
I barrel on, barely taking a breath.
“And now—nowyou go and say you like ME?! Like, I’m the one you want?! Not the ‘she’s fine’ option, not the ‘I guess she’s here’me?Butme, first?! I don’t—I can’t—this is—I was built for second place, not this! What am I even supposed to do with this information?”
Sienna pauses, a slow, wolfish grin spreading across her face. “Damn. So you’re telling me there’s a chance?”
I blink. “What? No, no, that’s not what—”
“I’m kidding.”
“Sorry, because I’m not—” I point between us. “I’m not there yet. But give me another week of men behaving like they emotionally peaked in gym class, and I might circle back.”
“Good to know.”
We both laugh, a genuine, tension-breaking sound that earns us a sprinkling of side-eye from the other hotel patrons in the café. Sienna’s face goes serious.
“For what it’s worth, if I thought you were being played, I’d tell you, but I’m not convinced.”
