Page 118 of The Book Club Boyfriend
His face twists like the words physically hurt him.
“I know,” he says quietly. “You have every right to feel that way.”
“I wasn’t just mad,” I add, staring past him at the skyline. “I was embarrassed. Ifinallylet my guard down and let someone in, and it turns out the universe was laughing at me.”
“Scarlett—”
“I know you didn’t plan it. But you knew. And you didn’t tell me.”
“I didn’t want to ruin what we were building; it felt so fragile...”
“Yeah, well.” I shrug.
That hangs there like smoke.
He nods once, eyes locked on mine. “I should’ve told you. No excuse. But it was never a joke to me. You weren’t a stunt, or a bet, or part of the PR campaign. You wereyou.And I was already gone.”
I exhale slowly. Might as well rip the band-aid off. “That would be more touching if I didn’t feel like a moron for making a bet of my own.”
He blinks. “Wait… what?”
“Yeah.” I rub my eyes. “Harper and I—she bet me I’d fall for you.”
His eyebrows lift, a small flicker of surprise on his face. “Details, please.”
“Not to quote Shakespeare, but it was one of those ‘the lady doth protest too much’ situations. She thought all my venom toward you meant the opposite. Of course, at the time, I brushed her off, told her no way. But yeah, there was still a bet—at least on her end.”
Chase looks surprised but doesn’t say anything more.
“So I guess I’m a walking hypocrite,” I add.
He takes a tentative step closer. “Maybe we’re just two idiots who didn’t see this coming.”
I look up at him. He’s beautiful. Calm, and rational. And that’sso annoying.
He’s literally the perfect male specimen—tall, roguishly handsome with scruff on his jaw and kind eyes…
“I’m still mad,” I admit.
“Okay.”
“I’m not ready to forgive you.”
“Okay.”
“But I’m tired of pretending I don’t care.”
Something shifts in his expression. It’s soft and vulnerable and stupidly earnest.
“You don’t have to fall,” he says. “Just lean. I’ll catch you.”
My heart stumbles. I don’t move for a second. Just stare at him like he might evaporate if I blink too hard.
Then, slowly, I step forward.
Ipress my forehead against his chest.
He doesn’t say anything. He just wraps his arms around me and lets me justbe, lets me breathe him in. And it feels… safe. For the first time in a while.
