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His sarcasm isn’t lost on Gregg. ‘Yes. It’ll be terminal. You have to tell her the truth, Tate. Ideally before you’re surrounded by a horde of screaming fans when you’re out with an unsuspecting Chloe. Just come clean with her.’ Gregg winces when he realises what he said. ‘Sorry. Bad choice of words.’
Tate grimaces as he looks back to his friend. ‘Then there’s all that. Why the fuck would she want anything to do with me after all that?’
‘Oh come on, man. You got yourself sorted. You should be proud of that.’
‘I’d be more proud if I hadn’t used in the first place, but that doesn’t change anything. Chloe deserves someone with a few dozen less issues than I’ll be throwing at her.’
‘Fair enough. So you’ll walk away then?’
He doesn’t realise he’s scratching his arm until Gregg sends another thump his way.
‘Find another way of getting rid of your frustration and leave your fucking arm alone.’
‘I’m not frustrated.’ Gregg looks sideways at him, one eyebrow raised. ‘What?’
‘Yeah well you’ll be frustrated and some if you don’t get yourself together. You messed up. You sorted yourself out. No big deal. Time to move on. We’re all human and we all fuck up from time to time. You can’t let one mistake define who you are. Learn from your mistakes, not sit around and wallow in them.’
‘It’s not done though. It’s always going to be there, lurking in the background.’
‘Oh for the love of God. Since when have you been such a drama queen? How can you possibly expect anyone else to accept what happened if you can’t? Call her. Make a date. Or so help me I’ll do it for you and that would seriously mess with your tough guy image.’
8
Tate stands at thedoor to Dorothy’s house and looks over his shoulder. Gregg waves at him from his truck parked a little way down the hill. Nothing like an audience, but Gregg refused to go until Tate had asked Chloe out. Gregg waves to him and points to the door. Tate clenches his jaw and looks at the brightly painted red door. If he can get on stage in front of thousands of people and sing, he can ask Chloe out. It’s not a big deal.
Except it really is.
A part of him is worried she’s going to say no. He wouldn’t blame her. He hasn’t exactly been painting himself in a good light. If anything, he’s firmly wedged himself in the slightly odd stranger category. Not once has he been so hesitant about asking someone out. He’d see someone he likes and that would be it. Nerves had never played a part before. He doesn’t know if it’s so different with her because, for once, he actually gives a damn about her, or if he’s knocked his confidence to a seriously pathetic level after what he did.
Gregg flashes the truck lights at him and Tate counters with a glare that does nothing to dampen Gregg’s irritating mood. He straightens his shoulders and takes a deep breath before pressing the doorbell.
Maybe she’s not in. That might not be a bad thing. Then the door opens. Chloe smiles when she sees him which isn’t a bad start. Her hair is tied in a loose bun and she’s wearing tattered jeans and a paint splattered t-shirt.
‘Hey. This is a surprise.’ She looks down at her clothes and blushes. ‘I’m doing some watercolour painting. I’m not the neatest so I plan for a paint explosion. Better safe than sorry.’
Tate thinks she looks beautiful, but he keeps it to himself. Nothing like complimenting someone just before they tell you to get lost.
