Page 16 of Wish You Would

He wipes his face with a napkin and nods. “You’re a determinist.”

“It’s hot, right?” I say, stretching to nudge him with my foot.

He’s still not smiling—not fully anyways—as he leans back on his palms, his long legs stretched underneath thecoffee table. He is devastating. Cocky and beautiful and absolutely killing me with his green eyes.

“How ‘bout soulmates?” he asks.

“Nope. I don’t believe in them either.”

“Why not?”

“I think the idea of a soulmate sounds really romantic, but I find it hard to believe that there is only one person on this planet for me in a population of 8 billion. What if my ‘soulmate’ lives in Antarctica or Zanzibar?”

He cocks his head as he studies me. “What about Tucker and Daisy? They’re the perfect example. Or Jake and Everly. She got it wrong the first time when she married her dickhead ex-husband, but she found her soulmate when she met Jake by chance at Catch 21. Hell, Grayson found his soulmate in Sierra when she moved in next door to him.”

I shrug my shoulders.

“What’s that shrug for?”

“Sorry to break it to you, but your soulmate doesn’t exist.”

He seems to think on that for a moment. I’m surprised at this. Holden believes in soulmates. That’s unexpected… and hot. “You think I’m being harsh, don’t you?”

“You can say anything you want.”

“I sorta have a bad habit of doing that. My mom always taught my brother and I to speak our minds.”

His expression softens. “You seem like you’re close to your mom.”

“I am. She’s been through a lot. My dad walked out on us when I was four and never came back.”

“Jesus, what an asshole. I’m sorry, Briar.”

“Oh, don’t be.” I wave it off. “I never really knew him, and I’ve never had the desire to. I got lucky when my mom married my stepdad. He adopted my brother and me.”

“I didn’t know you were adopted. Well, by your stepdad, I mean.”

“I guess I never talk about it. As far as I’m concerned, Jeff is my dad. I don’t remember anything about my bio-dad, and that’s just fine with me.”

Holden leans back, his gaze drifting to my shoulder where my T-shirt has slipped down my arm, exposing my shoulder. He lingers there for a brief moment, an appreciative look in his eyes. Another burst of warmth spreads up my spine. I like the way Holden looks at me.

“You feel like someone whose parents are still together,” I tell him.

He tilts his head to the ceiling. “I would need a drink or 10 to talk about my parents.”

“Beer or wine?” I ask, taking the cue and standing up from the couch.

“Briar, I need to work tomorrow. And you are sitting on my bed. Shouldn’t you go check on Bear or something?”

“One drink. Don’t worry, we won’t make it a late night.”

I catch him glance at my shorts, then his gaze travels down my legs. He blinks then slides a hand through the short strands of his hair.

He sighs. “Fine. But only one.”

Trying to ignore his appreciative stare, I walk into the kitchen and grab two beers from the fridge. He’s sprawled across the couch now, and I settle back into my spot at one end.

“The pillows are so you’re more comfortable,” I note, motioning to the pile of throw pillows he’s moved to the floor.

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