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After a long few moments, he shook his head and spoke. “I should’ve known this would happen.”
“What? Why?” I asked.
He pushed his hand through his hair, laughing ruefully. “We had a fight. Last night. About my job.” He moved his hands excitedly, emphasizing his words. “She honestly thought being a firefighter was like, a hobby or something.” He turned toward the water at the end of the dock and shouted to no one, “It’s not a hobby, Lindsay!”
I didn’t know what to say, so I just let him get things out.
“And what does she do? She sets up an interview at her dad’s company. In an office. An office!” He faced me. “Like someone like me could ever work in an office.”
I frowned, choosing words carefully. “Why isn’t she okay with you being a firefighter? It’s one of the bravest jobs you could have.”
He spun and walked down the dock. “Right?” A pause. “Who knows why she’s not okay with it. Because she’s Lindsay.” He said her name like it had air quotes around it. “And honestly, this isn’t the first time. We’ve been having issues. Arguing a lot. Disagreeing on everything.” He slumped to a sitting position, and I had a thought that I didn’t want him to ruin his tux.
He loosened the bowtie, then put his head in his hands. “Maybe the signs were there all along.”
“Owen, she’s an idiot.”
He half-laughed, and I wondered if he was trying to keep from crying. I moved toward him and took his hands. In all the years we’d been coming here, I’d never touched him before, but it felt like the right thing to do.
He needed to know this wasn’t his fault.
“She is,” I said. “She doesn’t deserve you.”
He didn’t let go of my hands.
“Yeah, well, I don’t think that’s how her dad sees it.”
“Then he doesn’t know you either.”
He let out a breath. “Emmy, you know I’m a first-class screw-up, right?”
I squeezed his hands. “No. You aren’t. Yeah, you’ve made some mistakes, but haven’t we all?”
“You haven’t.”
“Yeah,” I said. “I have. They’re just. . .different kinds of mistakes.”
“Well, I appreciate it, but I think you’re being nice.”
“No,” I said, suddenly feeling like it was my duty to make him feel better, to get him to see that if Lindsay didn’t realize what she had then she didn’t deserve him. “I’m not. I’m being honest. You’re the kindest, most thoughtful person I know. The way you’ve helped me over the years—”
“Uh, switch that around, I think you were the one who helped me.”
“I helped you pass classes. You helped me in other ways. We’re even.” I looked up at him. There was hurt in his eyes, and I wanted to go hunt Lindsay down and tell her she was the worst person in the world for making him feel like this.
And then drive over her with my car.
Owen was a lot of things, but when it came to his relationship with her, he’d only ever been all in. He was loyal and dedicated and completely smitten.
One would think that would’ve quelled my crush on him, but it didn’t.
And nothing was quelling my runaway mouth.
“Owen, how can she not see what I see?” The words were out before I could stop them. “I would kill to have you look at me the way you look at her. The way you take care of her and put her first. You’re so thoughtful and attentive and kind. I’ve seen it for years—everything you have to offer another person. And she’s just throwing it away, like she has no idea what she has.”
His forehead pulled.
Without thinking, I spoke what I’d been feeling for years now.
