Page 120 of Whiskey Chase
I ignored the ridiculous part of her statement and zeroed in on the other. “We all?”
“The fifty people in your backyard. We voted. You need to get your ass up and go after Devlin.”
“We parted ways. It was very civilized,” I argued.
June snorted.
“Since when do you do anything civilized, Scarlett?” Cassidy demanded. “You love Devlin.”
“We had a fling—”
Cassidy shook her head. “You fell sloppy stupid head-over-boots for the man. Admit it.”
“I’d like to share my theory,” June interjected. “I believe Scarlett’s romantic feelings for Devlin scared her, and she rejected him to protect herself.”
“June, are y’all calling me a chicken shit?” I gasped.
“Essentially? Yes.”
“I am no such thing!” I put my feet on the floor and stood up.
“Good job, Juney. You got her out of bed, now insult her again so she gets in the shower. She smells like a junior high boys basketball team.”
“I don’t smell—” I gave my armpit a sniff and reconsidered my words.
“Call him,” Cassidy said, thrusting my phone at me. “Call him and tell him you’re a sorry idiot and you miss him and you want to make it work.” She had no idea how many times in the past week I’d wanted to do just that. I missed him. I physically ached for a man I’d chased away.
“Cass, I appreciate your concern. But I am not dragging Devlin into this Dumpster fire of a mess. He’s got a career to worry about.”
“Did you ever bother asking him what he wanted, or did you just make the decision for him?”
“God, you sound like Jonah.”
“Speaking of Jonah, how do you think your half-brother feels finding out about his father from Bootleg and not you.”
“Hell.”
“Let me guess. You didn’t want to burden him with it either?” Cassidy crossed her arms over her chest.
I could only face one mistake at a time.
“What if Devlin didn’t want to stick? What if I told him everything, and he still left?” I demanded. “Do you know what that would have done to me?”
“Newsflash, dumbass. He does know. He figured it out on his own. Who do you think told me so I could protect your ass? Who do you think called in Jayme the Terrifying? You think me or my dad have those kind of connections?”
I gaped at her. “That’s not true. Is it?”
“Damn straight it’s true. He was ready to stay, to help. And you sent him away. You didn’t trust him to love you back.”
“He loves me?” I whispered.
“Either that or perhaps he just has masochistic tendencies,” June piped up.
I shook my head. “It doesn’t even matter if he loves me or is a masochist. We’d just end up like my parents.”
Cassidy threw her hands up in the air and screeched. “Did someone drop you on your head recently? What makes you think you’re destined to repeat your parents’ mistakes? Did you get knocked up in high school? Uh. No! Did you marry your high school sweetheart and then proceed to never mature past the eleventh grade? Also no! You and Devlin had something special, and you got scared and shit all over it!”
“I didn’t shit all over anything!” I hollered.
