Page 128 of Tempting Me

“Yes. The sooner we talk it out and make a plan, the sooner you can get the girl back. I wish someone had helped me sooner. Every day without Sadie was hell. I never wish that pain on anyone.”

“Yeah, well”—I grab a beer—“Shay and I are not you and Sadie.”

“Principles still apply,” he says.

Why doesn't anyone get it? I wasn't enough for her. She was fine tossing out everything we shared together like the trash in the back room just so her brother wouldn't be upset with her.

Who does that?

I’m the guy you keep as a secret. I’m never the real thing.

It’s a shitty fucking feeling that I don’t know how toexplain to anyone, and I don't want to. I don’t want to talk about it.

“Just go talk to her,” Miles grumbles after I refuse to stop scowling.

“No.”

“Run it by us what happened,” Linc says.

“It’s not worth it.”

“Just tell us,” Dutton says. He’s set his phone down and is fully invested in this conversation. I glance around at all of them. All eyes are on me.

“If I tell you, can we drop it?”

They nod.

I give them a quick recap of what happened after Leo showed up at The Marina.

“She messed up, okay?” Miles speaks first. “She panicked and said it meant nothing, but you know it does.”

“Well then, that’s what she should have said. Not … what actually came out.” I blow out a breath, feeling my heart strain all over again. “The point is, if at one point she was embarrassed or whatever, then she could feel that way again.”

“Whatever the point is, Luca, you can’t fix it unless you two talk to each other.”

“And say what? Hey, just curious, are you sure you weren’t lying, and if you were, why did you? And also, can you not do that again so that we can be together?”

Dutton’s head bounces side to side. “In a way, yeah. You’re the most honest person I know. Tell it to her straight.”

They make it sound so easy.

“I … it’s not that easy, guys.”

“Do you want to patch things up with Shay?” Miles asks to clarify.

“I … yes, of course. I just—fuck, why is this so hard?”

“Go talk to her. Whoever put this idea out there that the one who fucked up has to be the one to fix it was dumb. Relationships are a team effort. Tell her what you want and what you expect from her. If she doesn't want it, she can tell you.”

“I don't know, that sounds awfully dominant,” I mutter.

I smirk a little.

Shay does like it when I take control and boss her around, so maybe telling her exactly what I want is the right move. It doesn’t need to be flashy, just the truth.

“Let’s change the subject, please.”

“I was thinking of signing us up as a basketball team,” Linc says out of the complete fucking blue.

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