Page 11 of Dare (Fighting Fate)

Her words confused me, but before I could tell myself to shut my mouth, I was talking. “Exams are over now, Jess. There’s no reason why you can’t do that now. And if you think he’s going to have more free time when he’s trying to make his mark in a new law firm, then you’re going to be sadly disappointed.”

Her stunned expression had me kicking myself harder than ever before. Why couldn’t I have just smiled and nodded? It wasn’t that fucking hard.

She frowned as my words sank in. “Is that why you haven’t dated anyone lately?”

Then it was my turn to frown. The fact that she was aware that I hadn’t been dating surprised me. “Yes and no,” I said, trying to keep my cards close to my chest. “Part of the reason Anna broke up with me was because I wasn’t available to her as much as she wanted me to be. And she was right. That’s not what dating is about. If you only want sex or someone to hang out with when you’re bored, then get a friend with benefits.”

Jess blinked at me, seeming a little stunned. “O . . .kay.”

I shrugged, trying to tone down my intensity. “Obviously, that’s just my opinion, but I just think that if you’re going to go to the effort of dating someone, they at least deserve to have your attention. And if you don’t have time to give it, then don’t date. It’s pretty simple, really.”

Lowering her gaze to the floor, she wrapped her arms across her stomach and drew her teeth over her bottom lip. She looked so dejected in that moment, I was ready to give myself a good hard clip to the back of the head.

Meeting my gaze again, she cocked her head to the side, an inquisitive crease appearing between her brows. “So, are you saying that it’s impossible for a lawyer to have a successful relationship when they’re just starting out? That sounds incredibly lonely.”

I shifted my position against the counter, wondering if I was going to be able to dig myself out of the mess I’d just dropped myself into. “That’s not what I’m saying at all. I’m saying that if Wyatt hasn’t got the time for you now, he’s not going to have the time for you later. It doesn’t work like that.”

If I had an angel and a devil sitting on each of my shoulders, I was sure the angel was sitting there with his jaw dropped open right now.

“But you didn’t have the time for Anna. Are you saying that you’re the same as Wyatt, then?” she asked quietly.

Her question made me bristle. “Not at all,” I said, unable to stop my gaze from burning into hers. “It comes down to priorities, Jess. If the person you’re dating comes in equal or greater to that of your chosen career, then you’ll do everything you can to make them both work.” I wondered if the penny had dropped for her yet. Pushing away from the counter, I took a step toward her. “Anna broke up with me because she knew she wasn’t as important to me as passing my exams or racing my bike. But if she was the right girl for me, I would’ve made time for her.”

As her gaze drilled into mine, switching from eye to eye, I saw the denial flaring in their depths. She wasn’t ready to believe me.

Giving her a humorless smile, I raised my cup and winked. Then I turned and walked away. If I ever fucked something up to the point of rendering it irreparable, then that was it. Fuck my life.

Chapter 7

Jess

All around me, music blared and voices murmured. Some people made jokes while others laughed, heads falling back and hands pressed to chests. Girls flirted, flicking hair and batting eyelashes, and guys puffed their chests and gave knowing grins.

At a quick glance, it didn’t look too different from the scene I’d observed at the Murphys the day before. But if you sat long enough, the distinctions became a little clearer. It was the little things, like the topics of conversation, or the slightly different tones of voices. The air just had a richness about it, like everyone in the room knew that one day they would all be someone of great importance. Wyatt called it the way to success.

It was a scene I was finally getting used to, but I still felt as though I was slightly out of my depth—like I was a fraud just being here.

As I stood beside Wyatt with the same drink I’d had in my hand for the past hour, I watched him laugh and joke with Zac. I couldn’t deny they were good friends. It was obvious in the way they interacted. They were the kind of friends who knew what the other was thinking, and would sometimes finish each other’s sentences. They just seemed to get each other. It was nice, but in a strange kind of way, it made me jealous. It was something I knew I needed to work on, but right now? I didn’t know how to take it other than ignore it.

Pushing the thoughts aside, I smiled and tried to listen to what Zac was saying, but I was interrupted by a smiling face stepping in front of me.

“You must belong to Wyatt,” the girl said, holding her hand out to me. “I’m Cindy. Wyatt and I are in the same class.”

Taking her hand, I smiled, thankful to have someone to talk to. “Nice to meet you. I’m Jess.”

“So, what do you do, Jess?”

Both Wyatt and Zac paused their conversation as Cindy settled in across from me. “I’m studying to be a child care worker.”

Her brow twitched a little, as though my words had confused her, before dismay settled in her eyes. She smiled again, but the action was painfully fake. “Oh, well that’s . . . interesting. What made you decide to do that?”

I heard Zac snicker a little before trying to disguise it as a cough. Confusion flared inside me. I didn’t understand what was so amusing. Was there something wrong with being a child care worker in their eyes?

Glancing to Wyatt for a little insight, I saw him give Zac a warning glare before shifting uncomfortably. Focusing back on Cindy, I met her gaze with determination. “It was one of my friends, actually. She had a baby last year, and it got me thinking. It kind of clicked for me that this was what I wanted to do.”

Cindy blinked. “You have a friend with a baby?”

My smile grew. I wasn’t sure why I got a kick out of her shock, but I did. “I do. She and her husband got pregnant almost as soon as they were married.”

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