Page 67 of He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not

Her eyes grow wide and her smile wider. ‘You couldn’t get it up?’

‘Mercy,’ I say her name sternly. ‘Pretend I didn’t say it.’

‘Are youserious?’ She steps closer as if trying to keep the subject just between us.

This is just what I needed. To explain all this to her now.

‘Listen.’ I walk over, leading her away from the storefront before Hollyn notices us, if she hasn’t already. ‘I like Hols. It’s true. I always have, you know this. That said, I’d never sleep with her then walk away. I couldn’t do it. Not to her.’

‘There’s no way I’m allowing you to break her heart. She’s been through enough.’

‘Who says I’d break her heart? Do you remember what I went through to get over her? I could never hurt her.’

She holds her glare.

‘Come on, Merc. You gotta give me a break here. I haven’t hurt her yet. I’m bringing her flowers, cheering her up, making her smile.’ I pause. ‘I beat up Tristan.’

This gets her, and she drops her arms, cocking her head. ‘Fine,’ she says. ‘Unadulterated friendship, Dax. That’s what she needs right now. Until she pulls you from the friend zone, that’s where you’ll stay. Keep making her smile, and we don’t have a problem.’

I grin. ‘I promise, Merc. I’ll behave. Hollyn’s calling the shots here. Am I cleared to bring these in?’

‘Don’t mention this conversation or the whole world will know your penis has retired. Got it?’

I laugh under my breath. ‘Cross my heart and hope to die.’

Mercy rolls her eyes. ‘Careful what you wish for there, pretty boy.’

I know where I went wrong with Mercy, and in my defense, I was a different man back then. Just a horny kid, really. I’ve grown. It’s what we’re put on the earth to do. Despite what she and Brynn think, I’m no longer prowling town looking for women. After last night, I think I may be over that lifestyle permanently. Humiliation isn’t even a strong enough word.

16

HOLLYN

Moments Later…

The door dings open, and in walks Dax.Whatis he doing here? I successfully avoided him when I got home last night. His bedroom door was closed, so I went straight to my room, put on headphones, turned up the music so I wouldn’t overhear anything, and went to bed. When I got up this morning, he was already gone.

‘Hi,’ he says with a grin. ‘Brought you something. I swear they aren’t tulips.’

‘If I never see another tulip for the rest of my life, it’ll be too soon.’

‘By next Sunday, you’ll wish you’d never seen these either, I’m afraid. Bride’s choice.’

I take the bouquet of dark pink flowers he’s handing me, lifting them to my nose to see if they smell better than the daisies did. Slightly powdery, like a perfume my grandma wore when I was little.

‘What are these called?’

‘Anemones.’

I repeat his word slowly. ‘I love them. Thank you.’

‘It’s my pleasure.’ He turns to wander through the shop as I stand behind the front counter, his fingertips grazing along the tops of the albums. ‘This place brings back some memories, doesn’t it?’

‘You don’t still come in here?’

He shakes his head, a slight frown on his face. ‘I haven’t been here in years. Now that I am, I feel a little bad about that.’

‘Not much has changed. Except this.’ I walk over to the stereo system that has had more than a simple upgrade like River claimed, turning up the volume as loud as Mercy had earlier. Theshake-the-front-windowslevel, as she called it.

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