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He pulled out an array of toppings: artichoke hearts, Genoa salami, mushrooms, capers, and kalamata olives. She chopped up some ingredients while he tackled the others. Within an hour, they’d assembled their pizza and Grady was sliding it into the oven.
“That was fun.”
“I know cooking isn’t your forte, so I figured I’d show you my favorite dish. I mean, who doesn’t love pizza?”
Thirty minutes later they were eating and drinking her favorite Riesling. It was a perfect date night.
“Thank you for this.”
“I figured you needed it.”
He sipped his wine and glanced over at her from atop his glass. When he set it down, he reached out across the table and took hold of one of her hands, gently squeezing it.
“I know I said I wouldn’t push it, and I certainly haven’t, but I think we make a great team, Reese.”
She wanted to pull back, knowing where this conversation was going to lead. She wasn’t ready. She needed more time. Why couldn’t they maintain the status quo?
“Grady, I…” She had no words.
“The second I met you, I knew you were right for me. And I love all the time we spend together. Remember when I was describing my perfect woman to you up at the cottage? I was describingyou. This whole ‘arrangement’ is going to come to an end soon. Let’s just make it official, at least between the two of us now.”
“No.”
She watched as the small, simple word hit him like a bullet to the chest.
“No?”
There was so much confusion on his face, and Reese wanted to get up and run, but she couldn’t keep running.
“Why can’t we just keep things the way they are? Why does what we have need to change?”
“I guess it doesn’t, but I don’t see why we can’t transition to an official relationship.”
“Because relationships end. Then we end. You go on your merry way and move on. And I lose a dear friend.”
“We’ll still be friends no matter what happens.”
She snatched her hand away. “It won’t happen that way. And I won’t risk it.”
His eyebrows furrowed. “So we can’t be in a relationship because you’re scared?”
“Yes.”
He looked away and took a deep breath. Frustration was setting in.
“I’m supposed to sit back and pine away for you the way Cam did for all those years and probably still does? I’m not going to do that. I’m not going to watch a woman I’m falling for date other guys and wish I was that guy. I won’t put myself through that.”
“Why are you bringing up Cam?”
“Because that’s the pattern. The guys who love you are never good enough. Then you end up saddling yourself with a loser who treats you like shit. I won’t watch that. I won’t stick around to see it. I’m sorry if I’m being selfish, but if you won’t take a chance on me, then I’m out.”
She gasped, and in an instant, all her breath left her. “This isn’t fair. If I refuse to date you, you won’t be my friend? That’s blackmail!”
“No, it’s my self-preservation. If you feel so strongly that you don’t want to be with me, that’s okay. But I can’t make myself crazy being near you but not being with you.”
“It was fine the way it was. Why are you messing with us?”
“Because I don’t want to fake my way with you. I want it for real. And you don’t because you’re scared of a bunch of what-ifs. And I think you like the present situation because you can walk away from it and have this notion that we’ll still be friends. That’s nuts.”
