I blink hard so that tears don’t roll down my cheeks. He’s right. Or maybe he’s not. But shit, seeing that car there scared me senseless. Wendell’s offer is the best I’m going to get right now.
“Fine.” I cross my arms in some ridiculous attempt at self-preservation.
“Good.”
Chapter 4
Wendell
Four Years Ago
“Hey,” a light knock sounds at the door, “can we talk?”
I swipe off the image of Peyton in a bikini before answering, “Uh, ya. Give me a second.” I shove the semi down in my sweats and pad over to the door. Some might call me a sick kind of fuck for getting off to my roommate, AKA my best friend’s girl. I’d call myself worse. But for better or worse, everyone just knows me as the nice guy.
“What’s up, Peyton?” Swinging the door open, I find her blinking hard. For an arrogant second, I let myself believe it’s because of my shirtlessness, but then I see the red strain in her eyes. “Hey, hey, hey, what’s going on?” With great effort, I resist the urge to pull her into my arms and instead, gesture for her to come in. And like an idiot, I close the door behind us.
She sits on my bed and I bite back a groan.
Knowing there’s no decent place for me, I squat in front of her. Some distance is required.
“Um…” She rolls her bottom lip into her mouth. “I think Mike’s going to propose.”
For years into the future, I still will have no concept as to how I stayed grounded at her announcement.
“Uh, that’s great. I’m happy for you.” Fuck that. My heart just ripped into thirds. One for me. Two for her.
“Right?” She looks at me like she’s pleading for something.
“Great news. Just great.”
I find myself standing up. Pacing.
“You’re the only one I can talk to about this.”
“Hmm?” My mind definitely wandered somewhere dark and lonely, perhaps even dangerous—like a bear care—while she talked.
“Um…can you sit? You’re making me more nervous.”
Shit.
“Ya.” I misjudge the distance when I plop down beside her and my thigh rubs against hers.
“It’s just…I don’t know if I’m ready. What do you think?”
What do I think? I fucking think she chose the wrong guy, that’s what I think.
“I don’t know.” I scratch my head like an idiot. “What do you need to be ready for?”
And she confirms it. She looks at me like I just said the dumbest thing. “
“Mike’s been…kind of…distracted lately. He’s really been into penny stocks, now that he knows he’s not going to be drafted.”
I have no clue what the fuck penny stocks are but that guy has been glued to his phone researching them. “That’s a good kind of distracted, right? He’s building a future for you guys.”
“Ya. That’s true. I know you’re right. I’m just feeling…”
My every heartbeat hangs onto how she’s about to finish that sentence, but all I get is her eyes searching mine. And then her face crumples.
