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“I know,” he said, as if already beleaguered with himself.
“I was wearing a mask.”
“Yep,” he agreed grimly.
“You called meMrs.Brook!”
“I knew you were single, but I was hoping you’d correct me. Usually that’s a pretty good signal a woman is interested.”
I put a hand on the top of my head, trying to make sense of his words. “I’m confused.”
“So was I,” he admitted. “And then, there you were, eyes dilated and skin all clammy, nearly losing consciousness in a grocery store. If there ever was a sign from the universe that I should follow my instincts, that was it.”
“You’re lying,” I said, still incredulous.
“Why would I lie?” Lachlan asked, hands tilting off the steering wheel in a questioning gesture. “You think I forced you to my house because I’m like… the world’s most benevolent doctor?”
“Kind of,” I mumbled.
He laughed, short and staccato. “No. You needed help, and you were tripping all over yourself every time I touched you, so I did a crazy thing and made a bold move.” He angled a pointed look my way. “And I wasright,mind you. But now you’re putting up shields because you’re afraid I’ll hurt you.”
I stirred my soup nervously. “Did you know I was into you that first day with Calla?”
“Without a shadow of a doubt.”
“Oh my God,” I covered my eyes with a hand. “I thought I was sneaky.”
“Nothing about you is sneaky.”
I gave him an annoyed look, but I felt a smile hovering on my lips. “Okay, so what are you saying, then?”
“I’m asking you, begging you, not to build the Great Wall of China around yourself and to let me be a part of your life. In whatever way that is. For now,” he amended.
I blinked, watching the trees rush by and the end of the road approach. “I’m going to be honest, Lach. I think you deserve a lot better than that.”
“Rude,” he glowered sideways as he took a left turn out of the driveway. “Pretty sure I get to choose who I want in my life.”
I groaned, rubbing my face again. “You don’t get it. At all.”
“Don’t get what?”
“You’re going to realize it eventually,” I admitted, letting my hand fall to my lap. “You’re going to understand how crappy it is being with me—and in Calla’s life—and you’re going to back out. I don’t want to… hope. I don’t want to hope, Lach. It’s better to just part ways now and spare us both the drama.”
Lachlan frowned. “Laurel, you’re giving yourself way too much credit. You aren’t some criminal wanted by the mafia or something. You’re a woman with a normal life. That’s not that weird and youexistingisn’t a reason I would back out on anything we started.”
I clicked my tongue, staring out the window. He really didn’t get it. I’d had men proclaim that I could trust them before, but it never got past the first date when they realized what they were in for.
“But fine. I’ll let it go for now. Can we at least agree that you can trust me today?”
Fair enough. I nodded.
“Good. Now, what’s going on with Dickwad?”
I snorted and pulled out my phone, taking a breath as I re-read the messages. “Uhm, he’s mad that I’ve ignored him for two days. I missed a car payment—which is true—and he wants to turn the car in. Something else about obligations. Et cetera.”
“Okay, well, don’t drive his car anymore. If he gets another ‘helpful’ thought in his pea-sized brain, he could have you arrested for driving it. The charges wouldn’t hold, but you don’t need to go through that.”
I sighed, idly swiping the text messages up and back down again. “Yeah, but… that’s my car.”
