Page 13 of The Lies We Told Ourselves

“We can save the hugs for later,” I told him, patting his arm as I squeezed.

Holy biceps!

I should have been scared of Booker. He wasn’t exactly the most open person in the world. In fact, most people would probably say he was an ass. But this was a guy who helped when he saw I needed someone. He rescued horses no one else wanted and rehabilitated them.

And the most important thing was that he was absolutely nothing like my ex.

That beautiful bookshop smell hit me as I walked through the doors, and I felt actual tears in my eyes. The coffee machine bubbled to life with the sound of milk being steamed.

“This is amazing!” I whispered as I took in the cozy coffee shop vibes with the neat lines of bookshelves at the back. “Can I…”

“Knock yourself out.” Booker laughed at the look on my face, and my eyes widened in awe. An actual goddamn laugh. “How do you want your coffee?” he asked.

“I’ll take a caramel latte, please?” I asked politely, making sure that I kept a tally in my head of everything that Booker spent. I wouldn’t let him try to wave this off as nothing, which I had a feeling he would.

I headed to the romance section and got lost among the spines of second chances and love at first sight. I’d stood there for far too long looking between the books I held in each hand when I felt a presence behind me.

“What are you doing?” Booker growled, and I jumped about a foot in the air with a squeal.

“You scared the bejeebers out of me!” I swore, and the corner of his mouth ticked up again in that way I was starting to crave.

“Booky bear!” someone gasped behind us. “Are you harassing that poor woman?”

“Oh lord, what did I do to deserve this?” Booker muttered before he turned to look at the pink-haired woman standing and grinning behind him. “Blake.”

“Booky bear!” she cheered and then threw her arms around him. “I didn’t know you came into bookshops,” she whispered, looking from side to side dramatically like she was in on some kind of secret.

I looked around Booker to get a better glimpse at the woman I was pretty sure was destined to be my friend. He practically squirmed with discomfort.

“Ooooo, new friend!” she squealed.

“I’ll be with the coffee,” Booker growled, taking the books from my hands and then storming back to the table he’d found.

“Hi, I’m Reece.”

“Blake.” She smiled gently and shook my hand. “Booker will look after you,” she said.

I frowned, confused, and she shrugged. “Whatever you’re running from, whoever did that to you, Booker will make it right.”

“It’s not really his…”

She hugged me before I could finish. “That doesn’t matter. We look after our own around here, and I have a feeling we’ll be seeing a lot more of each other.”

“Thanks, Blake.”

She smiled and then pointed in the direction of Booker, who was sitting down again with a small bag that he put next to my coffee. Of course, he’d bought them both. “I’ve never seen him out in the wild like this before,” Blake told me. “Maybe you can help each other.”

“I don’t think Booker needs any help. He’s the most put-together person I’ve ever met.”

She laughed then. “Not everyone wears their bruises on the outside, Reece.”

I really looked at Booker then, but I already knew what she was talking about. Booker was closed off from other people for a reason. His gruff attitude was a defense mechanism he’d used toprotect himself, and that was how I’d repay him for pulling me out of that car.

I’d show Booker that he didn’t have to be alone anymore.

“You should have a coffee with us,” I told her as we moved to the table.

I saw the way Booker tensed as he overheard us and then wilted in resignation.

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