Twisted Love (Modern Romance #3) - Piper Lawson Page 0,63
risk, high reward."
I briefly contemplate stopping by her place after we’re done, letting myself in, and making her come before she’s even awake. But we haven’t done much sharing of each other’s personal space since this fake arrangement. It’s like some final line, a last stand. "And the other?"
Hunter folds his hands behind his head. "You repent."
"Repent," I echo. The word sounds as foreign as it feels rolling off my tongue.
Hunter and Wes exchange a look. "Show her you know you fucked up. If it’s really bad, I can get Jake on the phone."
I frown. "Diamonds will fix this?"
"It's tough. You can overshoot and come off disingenuous."
"Do something from the heart," Wes suggests.
"But don't be afraid to drop some cash either." Hunter winks.
I shake my head.
But as the game continues and I watch my phone, seeing she still hasn't texted back, I grow more convinced I need to intervene.
It’s not even the thought of her cursing me somewhere—it’s that she might have decided not to think of me at all.
And that’s unacceptable.
22
"I'm sure we can work this out," I say into the phone. "I know the past few weeks I haven't been as available as usual. But that will change going forward."
"I'm sorry, Daisy. It's a critical time for us, and we need to know you're going to be enough to service our business."
The client hangs up, and I stare at the phone.
“What happened?” Rena asks from my office door.
I square my shoulders. "Connexion. They stepped back."
"But they've been with you three years." She tries to hide the grimace but fails.
This week has gone from stellar to sucky fast.
I've tried to catch up with my other clients today, with varying degrees of effectiveness, and I put hiring for two positions on hold, but I need to make a decision on one because the candidates are waiting. I also need to talk with our landlord about retrofitting the kitchen.
The only saving grace was the article for the Vane wedding came through this morning, and it's fantastic. I sent it to Richard but haven't heard back, which killed my enthusiasm somewhat.
This will be worth it. That's the mantra I've been repeating, but it's been hard.
Maybe because personal issues are bleeding into work ones.
For a week after returning from the Vineyard, Ben and I were inseparable. It was starting to feel as if we were dating, even when no one was looking.
Especially when no one was looking.
The looks that man can give a woman from across the table should be illegal.
But since we went to see his mom, he shut down. No “thanks for going with me.” No “sorry I was a royal dick.”
It’s not that going to see his mom was a hardship, because his mom’s a sweetheart. But I thought we'd progressed past the point where he’d give me a hard time for being in his life.
He texted me last night with a picture of Jet when he was at Hunter's for poker, along with some throwaway comment.
I didn't respond.
"You sure you're okay?" Rena prods, now joined by Kendall, and I snap out of it.
I might be in a fake relationships but I can still talk to my actual friends about it. I tell them about going to visit his mom.
Kendall nods. “Logan thinks his mom walks on water, which can be a different problem. He still looks at me hard when I offer an opinion on her or their relationship."
Rena weighs in. “Guys always freak out when they realize you’re in their life.”
“I’ve been in Ben’s life a long time,” I contend.
“But not really in his life. I’m guessing Ben’s default setting is ‘no sleeping over,’ ‘no meeting the mom,’ ‘no weighing in on my work or my life.’ He’ll figure it out, realize this is a new normal.”
Or he’ll decide I’m in too far and shove me out.
I wish I could just be angry about it, but it hurts too much.
The gala’s in another week, and the Vane wedding the weekend after. This deal will be over and things can go back to the way they were.
I wish the thought of returning to who we were was more comforting. But I don't know how to go back. Repressing my feelings for him was bad enough, but starting to let them show, having him make me wonder if he might be capable of returning them…
I have other things to focus on, like the Vane wedding and keeping my business running.