Breaking Bro Code (The Line Up #4) - Misti Murphy Page 0,92
“Don’t you know anything about women?”
“I know I need to talk to her,” I say. “Tell her that I’ll move to L.A. for her. Tell her everything.”
“Yes. Well, that’s good. You should absolutely tell her all of that,” he says.
Cal nods.
“Right, so hand me your phone.”
“It’s just that you can’t do it like that,” Hud says. “Besides, she wouldn’t answer her phone. She’s so upset she’s not talking to me either.”
“So I’ll go and see her.” I get to my feet.
“It’s late,” Cal says. “You’re not going tonight. Besides, you’re barely sober.”
“And you need a plan,” Hud says. “For when she rebuffs you.”
“You think she will?”
“This is Lily we’re talking about.” His chest puffs up. “I’ve taught her better than to accept your sorry ass on first apology.”
“You’re right.” She’s sassy, strong-willed, and lives life at full volume. All reasons I fell in love with her, but also reasons that winning her back won’t be easy. I sit back down. “I’m going to have to grovel, aren’t I?”
Cal nods. “Welcome to the club.”
“Didn’t think I’d ever find myself here.” It feels like I’ve been dragged kicking and screaming into a new world where everything is topsy turvy but there’s a chance that I can put it right. And that’s all I need. For Lily to give me one chance to fix this. “So how am I going to win her back?”
“She’s been in love with you for twelve years,” Hud says. “You better be prepared to come up with a gesture worthy of that.”
“Shit.” I finger my collar and stretch it away from my neck. “No pressure then.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Lily
“How are you feeling, Lilly Pilly?” Kiki asks as she hands me a mug full of strong, sweet coffee. “You need some pain killers?”
“Not unless you’ve got something to stop my heart hurting.” I cradle the warm mug between my hands. I’d angrily drunken texted him last night thanks to the tequila. Given him an earful. Asked him why. He couldn’t even send me a single text back.
I know I have to move on. I will. But right now there’s this space he used to fill in my heart that aches for him. “I hate this. How can it feel this bad?”
“Because you really loved him,” she says. “And when you love someone like that there’s no easy way through the end of it. You’re just going to have to put one foot in front of the other.”
“Fake it until it’s normal,” I mutter into my coffee.
“Yes.” She sips her brew.
“I called Carlan,” I say. “Told him I’m taking the job.”
“Good,” she says. “We’ll miss you but that will help you get over him.”
“I’m not sure it’s going to be that simple.”
“It never is, honey.”
My doorbell rings.
“It’s probably Hud,” I say. “He’s got to be at the end of his ability to give me space.”
She squeezes my knee. “I’ll get it.”
She’s back a minute later with a Door Dash delivery. She sets the red canvas bag on the coffee table in front of me. “It wasn’t Hud.”
“What is it?”
“Um.” She peeks inside. Smiles.
Reaching inside, she pulls out a bunch of blush colored stargazer lilies and sets them on the table. Next comes a bottle of orange Gatorade and a bunch of bananas. A tub of my favorite cookies n cream ice cream. Last is two fried egg sandwiches from Frank’s Deli, with jalapeños on the side.
“What is this?”
“It looks like he’s grovelling.” Kiki smiles.
I groan as I open the Gatorade. The first sip hits the spot. My stomach grumbles at the wafting scent of egg, bacon, and cheese. “It’s L.A. all over again. He’s trying to fix his friendship with my brother by making sure we’re okay. But I’m not okay. I can’t just get over this with fried sandwiches and a banana.”
“You should eat them, though.” She hands me the wrapped sandwiches. “You need something in your stomach after last night.”
“Fine.” I slowly tear the paper off the first one so that I can pick at the golden bread. It’s not satisfying though. Not without Vale here so I can steal his jalapeños.
She picks up the lilies. “I’m going to put these in water.”
“Put them in the trash,” I say. I don’t need any reminders of him in my apartment. Especially not one that will wilt and die like our relationship did.
“It would be a shame to waste such beautiful flowers. I’ll put them in some water.” She heads in the direction of the kitchen. “There’s a card attached.”