Page 35 of Falling for the Bad Boy
“I could do grubby.” Macy glanced down at her cream-colored capris. “Or maybe sophisticated grunge?”
“Go.” I held the door as Macy brushed by.
“Can I tell you something?” Macy turned, her eyes soft and dewy like she was about to get emotional.
“What?” I cocked a hip.
“I’m so proud of you. And I know your grandmother would be too.” Macy traced a fingertip under her lower lash line, brushing away a stray tear.
I didn’t trust myself to speak. A bubble of emotion had worked its way up through my chest and threatened to burst. Instead, I pointed to the sidewalk.
“I know, I know. But it had to be said.” Macy blew a kiss as she cleared the doorway. “Love you.”
“Love you, too,” I choked out. Then I pushed the door closed and flipped the lock.
Leave it to Macy to go all teary-eyed on me. It was true though. Grandma Ryan would have been proud of me. That thought warmed my heart and caused the tears I’d been holding back to well up and fall. I wiped the back of my hand across my cheek. Sharing my plans with Macy made it all so real. Not that signing a purchase agreement hadn’t been real enough. But having Macy, the one person who knew me better than anyone else, kind of give her blessing, made me all the more committed to making it work.
But damn, she’d been right about other things too. I needed to get organized. For the first time in my life, I had a goal to work toward—something bigger than myself. If I wanted to succeed, I’d have to embrace some of her suggestions. The whiteboard might be overkill, but I did need a list.
I moved to the counter where I’d left my journal. Opening it to a blank page, I grabbed my pen.
Item number one, come up with a name. I sank to the floor, tucked my feet under me and started to brainstorm.
But before I could write the first name down on the list, someone knocked at the front door.
CHAPTER 15
Oliver
I watched through the thick glass as Trinity got to her feet and came to the door. I’d just hand her the bag and be done with it. She’d made it clear earlier that she thought last night was a mistake. But when she opened the door and met my gaze with those penetrating green eyes, my resolve softened.
“Hey, do you need something?” She looked up at me, probably wondering why I couldn’t take a hint.
I held out the bag. “I think you left this last night.”
“Oh, thanks. I thought maybe I’d dropped it while I was running errands yesterday.” She reached for the bag.
I should go. Turn around and retreat to the sanctity of my apartment where I’d be insulated from another frosty rejection. “I guess I’ll see you around then.”
“Do you want to come in?” She pulled the door open another few inches, making room for me to pass through.
Every part of me seemed to resist. Except for my feet which carried me through the door.
The heavy door closed with a thud behind me. “About earlier…”
“Yeah?” I turned to face her.
“I’m sorry. I was surprised to see you at the diner.” She moved back to where she’d been sitting and picked a notebook up off the ground. “I could have handled that better.”
Resting a hand on the smooth surface of the antique wooden bar top, I shook my head. “It’s fine. You regret last night. Don’t worry, it won’t happen again.”
“No, that’s not it.” A line creased her forehead.
I wanted to reach out, smooth over it with my thumb. Instead, I shifted my weight from one foot to the next while I waited for her to go on.
“I’m not used to…” She set the bag and notebook on the bar.
“What?” My voice came out soft and gentle. I wanted to know what she was thinking, although I couldn’t figure out why it was so important to me. Letting her get under my skin would only make things harder in the long run.
