Page 60 of Overtime
“No it’s… it’s okay. I’m just… whatever happens, I feel better I at least told you about it. You know? Having you listen. Saying out loud that I’m worried about being a fuck-up. It feels better than just keeping it all inside.”
“Well I’m glad.” She rubs a hand over my back, and I jolt a little as we hear the sounds of footsteps down the hall, looking up to see Ben and Colt there. Which is fantastic timing because now he’s going to have questions, and I don’t know how many blubbering confessions about feelings I can make in one day.
THIRTY-ONE
Colt
That nightafter practice I follow Ben back to his place. He’s got a new project he’s working on in his boat house that he wants me to look at the details of, and he’s offered to have me over for dinner. I’m pretty sure this is just another attempt on his part to play matchmaker between Joss and me, and I’m not really strong enough to fight it at this point. Not after the way she came apart for me. Definitely not after I remember all the reasons I wanted her in the first place, all of which still stand and then some. So if he wants to give me more excuses to see her, I’m taking them.
As we get into the house though and Ben goes to set the food in the kitchen, we’re greeted by a scene of Violet rubbing Joss’s back while tears fall down her face. I can’t make out what she’s saying, they’re mumbled words that are too hard to hear from this far away, but it’s obvious she’s upset.
“Ben,” Violet says, looking surprised and then giving him an uneasy look before she glances down at Joss.
Joss looks at us then, surprise on her face when she sees me standing next to him, and she stands abruptly. She swipes at her tears and smiles.
“You guys are back early,” she says with forced brightness in her tone.
“They cut practice a little early today. I texted Violet.”
“Oh, I missed that. Sorry.” Violet shakes her head, and Ben walks over and wraps an arm around her before he kisses her cheek.
“And you brought dinner.” Joss continues to grin despite how blotchy her cheeks are, and uneasiness stirs in my stomach. “I’m just gonna run and get cleaned up before dinner.” She looks at the two of them and then starts moving for the stairs.
“Hi, Colton.” There’s another forced bright smile as she passes me, and I return the greeting, staring at her as she goes, before I look back at Ben and Violet with a questioning glance.
Once her footsteps are clearly up the stairs, I walk over to them and raise a brow at her.
“She’s having trouble with the nonprofit stuff she’s working on. And you know how she is... So she’s taking it hard that it’s not going well at the moment.”
“What’s the problem?” I ask.
“You should ask her. I don’t want to overshare and upset her, but I’m sure she’d tell you if you asked.”
“I’m gonna go and talk to her.”
“She’s in the blue guest room,” Violet calls after me as I hurry up the stairs.
When I get to the door, I knock on it lightly.
“Be down in a sec!” she calls through it, and it’s obvious she’s still crying.
“Dollface, let me in.”
There’s a long pause, and the door finally opens. She’s tried to brush away her tears again, but they’re still pooling in her eyes. I’ve rarely seen this woman cry. Only one other time comes to mind, so I know it must be bad.
“What’s wrong?” I ask softly, stepping into the room and closing the door behind me.
A little gasp comes out of her followed by a sob, and she wraps her arms around me.
“It’s stupid. It’ll be fine. Everything’s fine. No one’s dead or anything, and I can’t even believe I’m crying.Again.I just fucking stopped. God, I’m a mess. It’s just been a rough couple of days with the nonprofit Harper and I are working on.”
I rub my hand over her back and kiss the top of her head. Her arms tighten around my waist, and she takes another deep breath as she buries her face in my chest.
“What’s rough?”
“Oh god. What isn’t? I think I’ve just overpromised things to Harper about what I can do here. I wanted to help her, and I thought I could. I’m trying with the book and stuff you know, but I just… The donor stuff isn’t going well.”
“How so?”
