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Hell, three months ago, that would’ve been me. I cast a glance to his mom and dad.Do they know what we did? That he screwed my brains out one night?
He clears his throat to gain my attention again. I give in and focus on his broad-jawed face. He’s staring at me in gentleness, almost pity, which surprises me.
“How long are you in town for?” he asks.
“Two days.” My initial plan was to fly in and out within the same day, but Hudson begged me to stay longer for Stella.
“Get breakfast with me in the morning.”
His question startles me. The breakfast offer is a little too late. That should’ve happened on our morning after.
“I’m not much of a breakfast person.”
He scratches his cheek. “Grab coffee?”
“I don’t drink coffee.” This is the truth. Never been a coffee fan. Never will be.
“What the hell do you do in the morning then?”
“Sleep.”Get sick. Roll around in my sheets, wishing I could turn back time.
He pulls his free hand from his pocket and slides closer into my space.
Way too close.
His steadfast eyes meet mine. “Please.I want to make shit right. My brother is marrying your best friend. I’m the best man. You’ll no doubt be the maid of honor. We need to be civil and stop dancing around each other if we don’t want everyone to know something happened between us.”
There’s the answer I was looking for. I wince, unsure if he’s more worried about our tension ruining the wedding or that people will find out about our one-night stand.
I wave my hand through the air, careful not to hit him in the face. “Consider that night forgotten. I already have.”
“Don’t bullshit me. We’ve known each other long enough for you to be honest with me.”
I hold up my hand in anger, the need to spew out something terrible snapping at me. I want to strike him with pain that consumes him like he did me. “In case you’ve forgotten,youkicked me out of your bed. What do you want from me? A friendly hug? A casual conversation with fake smiles? Not going to happen, so quit wasting both of our time. You stay out of my way. I’ll stay out of yours. Agreed?”
“I didn’t kick you out of my bed,” he hisses. “You ran out my front door faster than a speeding bullet.”
I forget we’re not alone and edge closer until my chest hits his. “You jumped out of bed likeyouwere dodging a speeding bullet.” I grit my teeth to gain control of myself. “That was before you said that what we did was a mistake,over and over again, like your lips were a broken record.”
His face burns like I didn’t just hit him with the verbal truth, but also a physical one. He lets out a hard sigh, giving me a small sampling of the whiskey and frosting lingering on his lips. Tightness forms in my throat, and I clutch at my stomach. Just like his cologne preference, I’m sure the taste of him hasn’t changed.
“I’m sorry. I overreacted,” he replies. “I tried calling to apologize, but you wouldn’t take my calls.”
“Nor will I ever.”
“Fuck, Willow, how many times do I have to say this until you forgive me? I was in a dark place and was out of line.” His voice lowers even more, and I barely make out his next words. “I didn’t regret that it wasyouin my bed. I was pissed at myself for even letting it happen, for putting you in that situation.”
His answer doesn’t make me feel any better.
I slide against the wall to move away from him. “It’s done. I’m over it.”
“Twenty minutes and a pastry,” he pleads. “Give me that, and I promise I’ll never bring it up again.”
I take a deep breath. This is Dallas Barnes. A man I worked alongside for five years. A man whose job was to protect Stella and me.Tragedy changes a man. Loss changes a man. This isn’t the Dallas I knew. This is a new man, a man who lost himself when he lost his wife.
I sink my teeth into the inside of my cheek. “I’m sorry, but I can’t. I’ll be civil for Stella’s sake, but I won’t spend a minute longer with you than I have to.” This is for the best. I want him to hate me. I want him to want nothing to do with me in case he ever finds out what I’m keeping from him.
The anger in my words shocks him, and he runs his hand over his face.
