Page 108 of The One Night Dash
“She was wrong.”
“Briar, you’re going to run into people like that every day. I’m begging you, learn to walk away.”
“And what good does that do?”
And I see it for what it is. Not him putting her down, not even him lecturing.
It’s Dash Sterling, protective brother, and yeah, I love that about him, too.
I wait for him just inside the door, and when he steps in after Briar, he rolls his eyes. “We good?”
“We are, and by the way,” I lean in to see that she’s passed, “she’s hilarious, your family is awesome, and I think I met one of your bunnies.”
He waits for more. Readies for impact, actually.
I pat a hand to his chest. “You’re good, big guy, but if you think Briar was bad, you have no idea what I’m capable of.”
“Thanks for the warning, Pembrooke, but I don’t break contracts. And in case you didn’t notice, I’m looking to sign a lifelong one with you. Until then, I won’t jeopardize my position in any way.” He smirks. “You like my jersey?”
“Love it.”
“Moretti saw I ordered it and came up with that whole thing.” He wags his brow. “I’m thinking it’s a little more than they’re saying but not saying.”
“We’re on the same page,” I agree.
“How’d the wedding plans go with the girls?” he asks.
“Great, but after that, I feel inspired to do more.”
He kisses me. It’s sweet and claiming at the same time. I have to force myself to break it.
“Go see your mom. She missed you.”
“Love you, Pembrooke,” he says, taking my hand and leading me inside. “We need to find a place.” He turns back and looks at me. “Too soon?”
“I think we’re solid,” I answer honestly, because we are. We are so solid.
“I know we are.”
TWENTY-SIX
DASH
Everything worked out as far as the press release for Moretti and Claudia’s engagement. Fairfax Media purchased the rights to all the videos taken during the event and its aftermath. Contracts were signed, videos were deleted, and if they appear anywhere, Fairfax had legal rights to sue.
Moretti praised my sister for speaking up for his girls, even asking if she had a summer job. Because they might need a nanny. Sofie spoke up, saying a little birdie told her Briar was interested in an internship. That little birdy was Noelle.
Sofie told her it wouldn’t be easy, and she needed to prove she wanted it through her grades. If that all checked out, Sofie would put her on the short list. Celeste piped up that she was free this summer and she’d show Claudia and Moretti her grades and that she had taken CPR and first-aid. Paul freaking Bronski, the GOAT, told him that she could assist him until she got the swing of it.
Not gonna lie, I was a little jealous of Celeste getting to spend more time with Paul than me. But that lasted all of ten minutes before I realized I needed to be searching for a house, because Noelle told Briar that she could stay with her if she gotthe internship, and I’m not cool with not having a space for all the fuckery I know we’ll be getting up to, but also, yeah, I loved Noelle offering her, then Celeste, and yeah, Mom, too, a place with us.
There was no fucking that night, but there was cuddling. I love that shit, too. And Noelle admitted she needed it. She was sore, but didn’t say shit because it was “the good kind of sore.”
I also love the cuddle talks and secrets we share with each other in the dark. I want to know her every thought, every feeling.
We talked about bunnies, of course, and I reiterated that she’s it for me. She divulged her past experiences. I wouldn’t care if she’d been with a dozen guys. Honestly, who am I to judge? But what she told me fucking changed something in me so deeply I cannot yet figure out what to do with the pain, and rage, and … justice I want for anyone who has gone through that. She told me that since that happened to her, since that monster … did that, she shut down. She tried to date, even had a few hookups with people she knew would never hurt her. But I was the first man she had been with since then, that she didn’t “check out” and feel like she had to basically exit her body to get through what is supposed to be a pleasurable time. That didn’t make me feel likefuck yeah, I’m good. It made me lie awake most of the night because I get it. I get being hurt, beaten, bruised, by a person who gets off on inflicting pain, but bruises and cuts heal, breaks become whole again, but that … that kind of assault doesn’t heal in four to six weeks.
My dick isn’t magic. Although, I mean, it’s good. But what healed Noelle is reading other stories of people who got through their trauma, books about love, and was able to see what it is supposed to look like. Writing happy ending after happy ending until she remembered she, too, deserves one.
