Page 47 of Don't Go Faking My Heart

“Is that what you think?” I ask.

"Has she ever been to your place?" Lou asks.

"No," I say.

“That’s my point. You’re so enmeshed in her life, but if you want her to see you differently, she needs to see all of you.”

"And you think that'll help?"

We're almost back to the office, so they stop me. A trickle of sweat runs down the side of Millie's face. It's a warm day, but I've worked out with her a lot in Duke's gym—their gym. The girl breaks a sweat warming up. Tripp teases her about it all the time, and she tells him redheads are more susceptible to thermal pain and that he can suck eggs.

I like Millie.

"Ash thinks you're a good guy because you are. You're a great person," Millie says.

"Don't say that," I say.

"Rusty, you are quality!" Lou says. "But Ash's biological dad is the world's biggest jerk. He makes Philip look like an intern at Jerk Headquarters."

Ash has never mentioned her bio dad, only her stepdad. Her parents have video chatted with us when we've worked together on campaigns, and I’ve gotten to know them fairly well. Greg’s a bit of a goofball, but he's cool. Imagine Neil deGrasse Tyson with more Star Trek and less astrophysics, and you've got Greg. He has a big heart that he wears in his eyes when he talks to his daughter.

I get the feeling that Ash is holding a part of herself back with him, though, and now that I know a single thing about her bio dad—that he's garbage like Philip—some pieces are falling into place.

"Are you saying she goes for jerks because she's subconsciously trying to prove to her dad that she's worth loving?"

Lou and Millie stare at me. "Literally exactly that," Lou says.

"You really are perfect for her," Millie says.

"You can't say that," I moan. "It's hard enough fake dating her. Y'all actively pushing for this to happen will only make it harder when it doesn't."

Lou’s sympathy fits her like an old shirt. "Sorry, Rus. I'm pulling for you two, but I'll keep it to myself."

"Me too," Millie says.

"Thanks."

"But in the meantime, let her see all the parts of you that you're hiding. She gushed about how you were smoother than James Bond all weekend," Lou says. "That didn't come from nowhere. Show her those parts, too. Don’t hold back."

"Yes ma'am." I pause. “But can I say somethin’?”

“Anything,” Lou says.

“Y’all gotta trust Ash more. She doesn’t need all this pushing, she needs y’all to believe in her.”

Millie’s mouth falls open. “Is that what it seems like we’re doing? Pushing her instead of supporting her?”

I grimace.

Lou holds a hand over her mouth. “Oh, man, you’re right. We’ve all been too fixated on Philip. It was terrifying watching her with him. It was like he was systematically erasing her. First the stripe in her hair, then the curls, then the glasses. We thought we were gonna lose her.”

Her emotion pulls at my heart. “You didn’t, though. Whatever happened, she got through it because you guys are the best friends in the world. You gave her the strength she needed to leave him. But that’s over. She doesn’t have to rely on your strength anymore, she has to see that she has all the strength she needs inside of her.”

Millie dabs at her makeup. “Dude. If I sweat and cry through my makeup, you owe me another Diet Coke.”

I laugh. “I can live with that.”

When we get back into the conference room, everyone sits down, and I clear my throat before anyone can speak first, “Ash, can we revisit the collaboration idea?” She purses her lips but doesn’t say no. “Why don’t you walk us through the pros and cons you see in having Lou, Sonny, and Duke be part of the campaign?”

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