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Fear laces every cell of my body as my hand viciously begins to shake.
Why did I choose to walk home alone?
How could I be so stupid?
Then without even a second of hesitation, I take off at a sprint, my heart pounding faster than my strappy heels against the concrete pavement.
27
IZAAC
Kicking my feet up on the end of my desk, I stare at my home computer screen as Austin holds up the plans, showing me the shit he discussed with the interior designer he met today. It’s almost one in the morning, but I don’t mind. I’ve been a night owl since the moment I first opened Cherry.
“I think she’s in,” he tells me, bracing his elbows against the small table in his hotel room and leaning toward his laptop. “I showed her the blueprints and the vibe I’m going for and she said she was interested in flying in and checking out the restaurant. Said it could be a great addition to her portfolio.”
“No shit. That’s great news.”
“Yeah. Don’t get me wrong, the hype already circling the restaurant is going to ensure a successful launch, plus we’re already booked out for the first six months. But with her name attached to it, there’s no telling how fucking great this could be.”
“With or without her, this restaurant is going to be fucking incredible.”
His eyes light up like Christmas morning, and I can’t help but smile, so fucking proud of him. This has been his dream for so damn long, and now that the end is finally in sight, he can barely contain his excitement. “Thanks, man. You know I couldn’t have done any of it without you.”
“Don’t give me all that sentimental crap. I have literally done nothing but stand on the sidelines and watch the magic happen. This is all you.”
Austin rolls his eyes as I lean back in my desk chair and prop my hands behind my head. “How do you feel after last night?” I ask. “You seemed pretty fucking smitten with Becs.”
“How would you fucking know? You were barely there for a minute.”
I scoff. “I was there long enough to know you were doing something you shouldn’t have been doing.”
Fuck. I’m such a hypocrite.
Austin drags his hand down his face, a seriousness coming over him. “I don’t know what to tell you, man. There’s something about that girl. She’s so fucking fiery. Whatever bullshit came out of my mouth, she was so quick to counter. It was refreshing. Plus, she’s fucking gorgeous. I just . . . I wanna get to know her.”
I let out a heavy sigh. “You took her home, didn’t you?”
He grins. “Can you blame me? She’s got me ready to risk it all.”
My brow arches. “Even Aspen’s wrath?”
“Even that.”
I gape at my best friend. He’s never thought about a woman long enough to consider anything. Hell, he likely doesn’t remember the names of half the women he’s been with. “Shit. What does Becs think about that?”
The smirk that stretches across Austin’s face is the same one he had right before we ended up in cuffs in the back of a police cruiser. “She’s not exactly on the same page, but don’t worry. I’ll wear her down. Give me six months,” he says. “She’ll be living with me and have my ring on her finger, mark my fucking words.”
“Fucking hell,” I mutter under my breath. “You talk a lot of shit, but you’ve never said anything like that about a woman. Are you really sure about this? You barely know her.”
“I know her enough to know that she’s worth taking the risk. Plus, Aspen fucking adores her, and she’s always been a good judge of character. At least, mostly. I’ve kinda been questioning it since that whole Tinder date thing. But what I’m trying to say is, if Aspen loves her, then there’s a good reason for that.”
“What do you think Aspen is going to say about all of this?”
He shakes his head. “I think she’ll come around to the idea. It might take a little while, but—” he cuts himself off as his phone rings, and a smirk lifts the corners of his lips. “Speak of the fucking devil.”
He holds up his phone, flipping it around to show me Aspen’s name across the screen before laughing to himself. He hits accept and holds it to his ear. “Do you have any fucking idea what time—” his words fall short, his face falling with horror. “Wait. Slow down. What’s wrong?”
My heart races as my feet fall from my desk, more than ready to break into a fucking sprint to get to my girl, but I wait on eggshells, desperate to know what the fuck is going on.
