Page 85 of Perfectly Complicated
Lauren
Operation Wreck Rourke is officially on!
TWENTY-FOUR
Rourke
I’m waiting downstairs while Janie finishes getting ready for the Crushers Christmas party when there’s a knock at the door. Outside on the front porch, Scarlett stands in a black cocktail dress, dangling a pair of sparkly heels from her fingers.
“Scarlett?” I motion toward the stilettos. “You brought me shoes?”
“For Janie.”
“I didn’t know you were going to the party. Are you and Brendan…”
“I’m not going with Brendan,” she interrupts, something flashing across her face. It’s there and gone before she covers it with a polite smile. “And…I forgot to bring the shoes over earlier.”
She hands me the shoes, and I frown. “But you’re dressed for the party.”
She hesitates, glancing down at the ground. “I’m going…with Jaxon.”
“Jaxon?”
She nods quickly.
The man’s been my buddy ever since we started on the Crushers, but he’s made it very clear he has absolutely no plans to settledown. Our conditioning coach is going to be furious when he finds out.
Especially because everyone knows it’s Brendan who’s been pining for Scarlett for years.
“Scarlett,” I say carefully, “why are you going with Jaxon and not Brendan?”
“He didn’t ask me.” She pauses. “Maybe because things have been…complicated between us lately.” For a moment, her eyes betray her, before her face dips and she puts her mask back in place.
“Anyway, it’s fine,” she says, pasting on a smile. “It was never going to happen for us anyway. He’s Mr. Marco’s nephew and the conditioning coach. This teamishis life. We could only ever be friends.” Two lines appear between her brows. “And I’m not sure we’re even that right now.”
“Listen,” I begin slowly, “I don’t know what happened between you two, but I’m sure if you talked to Brendan, you could work things out…”
“It’s over, Rourke,” she says firmly. “I need to move on.”
“But showing up with Jaxon?” I say, lifting my brows. “That’s going to kill him.”
“I’m sure he won’t even notice,” she says, her mouth twisting. “Anyway, I’m happy for you and Janie. She deserves to have something good happen to her after everything she’s been through.”
“Thanks,” I say quietly, still wondering what dumb-headed thing Brendan did to drive Scarlett away.
“Well, I need to go,” she says before turning to head to her car.
“Hey, Scarlett, wait a minute.” She stops and whirls around. “For what it’s worth—I think you’re wrong about Brendan.”
She looks at me, eyes wide. “What are you talking about?”
“Hewillnotice you. And he’ll regret not asking you himself.”
Her lips press into a tight line. “Maybe. But if he doesn’t want me badly enough to do something about it, then maybe it’s time I find someonewho does.”
“Trust me, he wants you,” I say. “He’s just been too stubborn to do anything about it.”
She shakes her head. “Well, maybe he needs to see what he’s missing out on.”
