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Not helping.
“He’s not my fr—” I couldn’t get the last word out past the lump in my throat.
I swallowed hard and tried to keep my voice from shaking as fresh tears welled up in my eyes. Though how I had any tears left to cry, I didn’t know. “He’s not my boss. I quit my job, Mom.”
Her eyes widened and she opened her mouth, but I held up my hands in a mock surrender. “And I don’t wanna talk about it right now. I can’t. So just… make him leave, okay? Please?”
Shockingly, she didn’t say a word. Didn’t even look like she wanted to object or argue. She simply spun on her heel and walked away, and that was good enough for me.
I put my earbuds back in, rolled back over and closed my eyes, ready for another round of Adele, but I couldn’t stop thinking about the fact that Brady was standing at the front door—just in the other room. And even though he was thelastperson I wanted to see, he was still somehow the only person I wanted.
Another knock on my door set my teeth on edge and made every muscle in my body tense up. I should have known she wouldn’t give up that easily.
I will not yell. I will not yell. I willnotyell.
I inhaled slowly, then exhaled as I counted to three… then counted to three again. When I finally felt composed enough to speak, I surprised myself at how calm I sounded.
“Is he gone yet? I just want to sleep.”
I plucked an earbud from my ear and waited for a response, staring blindly at the wall in front of me. And waited.
Andwaited.
I heard my door open, and footsteps fall on the floor behind me.
Ugh, seriously?
“Just yes or no will work, Mom, honestly.”
“No, sorry—” Brady’s deep voice was so low that I couldfeelit rumble next to me as I scrambled to turn over and stand up all at once. “—I’m still here.”
And there he was, looking sad and sheepish and sexy as hell, just a few inches away.
I was too surprised—tooshocked—to think, but even through the confusion and the lingering anger, I could already feel something else bubbling up, a feeling of hope—ajoythat I couldn’t suppress.
I knew better than to trust those feelings, though. Not this time. Not again.
“Brady, what the—” I blinked, then my eyes narrowed. “How did you—oh my God. I’m gonna kill her.”
“Jo, wait. Please. Don’t be mad at your mom. I begged her.”
I doubted Brady had needed to do much begging to get in the house, but as I looked at him—looking back at me with eyes full of humility and sincerity—I believed that hewouldhave begged, if it had come to that.
“And I bribed her with flowers. And then I brought more. For you.”
I glanced down at the bouquet in his hands, noticing it for the first time.
Orchids.
Just like the ones he’d brought the night of our first date, except these weren’t purple. They were white.
The color of peace. Of serenity.
Of fresh starts and new beginnings.
“You… brought me flowers?” I frowned as I took the carefully wrapped bundle, inspecting it in spite of my feelings. Then a thought occurred to me. “You made this arrangement?”
Brady nodded.
