Page 75 of Fool for You
Hear him out.
I turned, my feet moving on their own volition as I barreled my way through the crowd, the song we had been dancing to ending suddenly. Were we really dancing for that long? Did our silly banter about his hat choice and staring at each other really last more than three minutes? If so…why did it feel like seconds?
“Quinn, wait,” Wyatt called after me, his footsteps not far from mine. Soon, he was in front of me, stopping dead in his tracks, forcing me to do the same. “Don’t—”
“I can’t hear you out,” I said suddenly.
Wyatt froze, his arms drooping to his sides.
“Wyatt.” I took a single step towards him. “I don’t think you know how much you mean to me. You’ve become so much more than a friend. You’re…” I fought for the words, coming up short when the only one hit my mind. What did Abi call it? “A safe space for me. Someone I can trust, and seriously, I never thought I’d say that about you. I love having you around. I love talking with you and watching our show, and eating random foods. I love everything about you—but as my closest friend.”
Wyatt rubbed his lips together. “Friends?”
I nodded, biting the inside of my cheek. “I can’t let anything screw it up. Please…” I whispered, begging him. “We can’t screw this up.”
His gaze never once left mine. We were quiet for a moment, longer than the song we had just danced to, it seemed, but finally Wyatt took the steps that lay between us. He leaned in, kissed my cheek, and whispered.
“We won’t screw anything up. I promise. Friends.”
Then he walked past me, leaving me staring into the open field as the sun set slowly over Hartwell Hills.
Twenty-Four
Wyatt
Friends.
We were friends.
And I couldn’t screw that up.
I didn’t want to screw that up.
I wanted to spend every waking moment with her. I wanted to watch her fall asleep, and I wanted to see her wake up. I wanted her to shove her freezing cold toes under my thighs as we watched the show, and I wanted to find another show to watch after this onewas over. I wanted to keep guessing what foods sheliked, find out which ones made her hum as she took that first bite. There were so many things I wanted with her.
And if the only way to get those things was to be her friend…
Then I’d take it.
She came back into the wedding reception a few moments after I did, and I shifted, removing myself from the self-pity of being shoved into the friend zone. I pulled her close for a side hug, tempted to kiss her temple, but stopped myself.
I wanted so badly to tell her how I felt, drop that other L word that I had never said to someone who didn’t have the last name Hartwell. Her words, “I can’t hear you out,you’ve become so much more than a friend. You’re a safe space,” rang in my ear on repeat, and there was no way I was going to get them out anytime soon.
Letting her go and losing all the warmth that came with her, I went straight to my brother and held out my hands.
“Give me the baby,” I demanded.
Rhett held his daughter a little tighter. “Excuse me?”
“I need a distraction, and it’s her bedtime. You know I’m the Poppy Whisperer, so hand her over. You and your wife stay out a little longer.” I waggled my fingers in a ‘gimme’ motion.
Poppy smiled and let out a small giggle, but her tiny arms reached out for me just the same.
“You sure?” Rhett asked, adjusting his hat once Poppy was free from his arms.
“Yup.” I popped the P, giving Poppy my cheesiest grin. “Maybe we can watchBluey.”
Poppy babbled, her hands reaching up and yanking the hat from my head. I could feel my hair standing on end—the gel I had used to try to tame it before the ceremony did absolutely nothing to help.
