have melted cold steel. “I don’t see why not—somebody’s got to pay attention. Admit it. You’re not the best judge of character. How many times have you brought home some fucking loser who wanted to get into your wallet more than they wanted to get in your pants?”
The second the words left my lips, regret gripped me. And when Georgie jerked back in pain, guilt struck me like it was me who’d been slapped.
“I … I didn’t mean—”
Her eyes shone, her jaw set but chin flexed. “You asshole,” she breathed.
“Please,” I begged, stepping closer. “I didn’t mean that. I’m just … I’m sorry. I can’t stop worrying about you, about this. You’re all I have, George, and if something happens to you …” I shook my head, looking away. “What happened with Wyatt can’t happen again, because the next man who hurts you is going to land him in the hospital and me in jail. I know I’m overbearing—”
She let out a single ha as a fat tear slid down her cheek.
“But I’m the cynic so you don’t have to be. Remember? It’s my job to look for danger, and you having feelings for a man whose income relies on a retail job is dangerous.”
She sniffled, refusing to look at me as she uncrossed her arms to swipe at her cheek.
“The more you feed that want to see him, the worse it’s going to get. And then what’s going to stop you? If Catherine finds out, she will tear you open. Take you off the project. Punish you, maybe even fire you. And God knows what she’ll do to him.”
The acrid smell of burning meat hit us both at once, and Georgie swore under her breath, hurrying to save dinner.
Once salvaged, she kept her eyes on the pan and her spatula moving the chicken around without purpose. “Objectively, you’re right. I shouldn’t even be friends with him, which is all we are, just so you know. But Liam, I am not going to even pretend like I’ll follow your edict about the financial position of the men I see or date or fall in love with. You’re going to have to trust me, because what was cute when I was sixteen doesn’t work when I’m twenty-six. You can’t choose for me forever.”
I hated that she was right, no matter how desperately I wished she wasn’t. I didn’t know how else to protect her from men like Wickham.
“I saw him.” The words blurted out of me, unbidden. “Wyatt.”
The spoon paused over the skillet. “Where?”
“Wasted Words. With Laney.”
Slowly, she turned. “Are they seeing each other?”
“I think like they might be,” I said darkly.
The thought hung between us.
“I’ve known since the mixer.” When she didn’t respond, I continued. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you—I’d hoped he wouldn’t come around. But if he’s around the bookstore, you should be prepared to see him.”
Still, she said nothing.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine—I don’t love him anymore. But Laney …”
“We can’t interfere.”
“You sure are eager to tell me all the things I can’t do tonight,” she snapped, but sighed. “But you’re right. I don’t think I could do it, sit and badmouth Wyatt to her. I always hope people judge me based on my merits, not by what others say, and ruining someone because of what happened between us just…I can’t do it. We don’t know—maybe things are different. Maybe he’s changed.”
We exchanged looks.
“If she asks me about him or I find a window to gently warn her, I will. But I won’t stop them from being together. I know all too well how that feels, and I’m not about to put that on someone else.” She straightened up and turned back to her task. “I won’t lie to you—if the timing were right, I would be dating the hell out of Jett Bennet, and when the job is over, he’s fair game. The contents of his bank account don’t matter to me. His character does. And he is one of the most genuinely good men I’ve ever known. Aside from you. Although unlike you, he’s not an asshole,” she teased.
“He’d better not be,” I warned, still unconvinced of his merits.
She chuckled.
I watched her for a moment. “I promise I’ll try harder to trust you. And I’m sorry I’m like this.”
Georgie sighed, moving the pan off the burner. And when she turned to me, there was such sadness on her face, witnessing it broke something inside of me.
“Don’t apologize for who you are. You’re like this because it’s