Page 26 of Breathtaking

Awfully defensive for someone with nothing to hide, little cousin.

And just as quickly as I think that, I realize I’ve become a fucking hypocrite.

Damn...

“Answer one question and I’ll leave you alone,” I taunt him and lift my glass to my mouth. “Better yet, answer me one question, and I’ll get everyone to leave you alone.”

“Cite your source, and I’ll answer,” he counters.

“Dude.” I shake my head. “My mom mentioned it. Pretty sure she’s been talking to your mom.” The two of them together are bad news, but they’re not the only ones talking. “Jamie may have said something the other night when he stopped by the bar for dinner. And Ryker mentioned the hot nanny last week at the poker night you skipped out on. Even Killian?—”

“I never said a word to Killian,” he argues, but he’s already lost this fight, and he knows it.

My grin grows as I hammer the final nail in his coffin. “You didn’t need to. Lilah was at your house when some dude showed up at the nanny’s house, and she said you went ballistic.”

“I didn’t go ballistic,” he grumbles. “And she has a name.” As soon as the words are out of his mouth, he knows he just proved my point. “What’s your question?”

Maverick has no clue how easy it is to read him.

This girl isn’t just some girl.

If she was, he wouldn’t be defensive.

This wouldn’t be driving him to drink alone in a bar full of people who care about him. We don’t stress over ass. We don’t worry about who said what over women who don’t matter. I should know.

This girl matters to him, and she’s here, in Kroydon Hills, living next door and helping with his kid. She’s standing in front of him with nothing in the way... nothing holding him back but himself. And he’s going to miss his chance. “What’s holding you back? What are you scared of?”

Right for the jugular.

What can I say? I don’t pull my punches.

“That was two questions.”

I hold up two fingers. “Two questions—one answer. Same goal. You’ve hooked up since Rosie. But you haven’t dated since Denae showed up at your doorstep pregnant. You didn’t love her. I’m not even sure you liked her. But you haven’t dated since her either, and I’m pretty sure you want to date this girl.”

Maverick looks away, clearly frustrated, when all he has to do is take a look at himself.

“So what’s holding you back? Because the Mav I know isn’t scared of anything.” I swallow my whiskey in one gulp and signal for a waiter. “You’ve always been fearless, and I’ve always respected that.”

“It’s easy to be fearless when you’re only worried about yourself. But it’s not just me. It hasn’t been for a long damn time. I’ve got Rosie to think about. To worry about. How am I supposed to date and bring someone around Rosie when I know it will devastate my kid when they leave? How am I supposed to trust someone with her heart. This girl is young. I doubt she’s looking for an instant family.”

“Don’t put words in other people’s mouths, Mav. Don’t assume you know. It never ends well.” I signal the waiter and order another drink.

The waiter points at Mav’s beer, but he shakes his head. “Sounds like you’re talking from experience, cousin.”

You could say that.

I think back to the first time Lennon asked me to walk away.

To the fear in her eyes.

The way her voice trembled.

The way she pleaded with me to do it for her because she wasn’t strong enough to do it herself, even if she had to. I could have stayed. I could have fought. But it would have just made things harder on her, and it wouldn’t have changed the outcome. “Maybe... I don’t want to see you make my mistakes.” I tilt the ice still in my empty glass, eyes locked on the cubes as I lean over the railing.

Mistakes are a cruel fucking bitch that come back to haunt you when you least expect them to.

Especially mistakes you know you had to make because, for someone else, they were the only choice.

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