Page 43 of The Crush Next Door

"I don't know." He lifted his shoulders in a shrug. "Just maybe giving up on it, tired of putting your money and time into it."

I shook my head quickly. "It's only been four weeks. You think I'm giving up that easily?"

"I wouldn't think so. But, well..."

"Well, what?"

"Nothing," he mumbled, fiddling with his napkin.

"No. Not nothing. What is it about me that makes you think I'd give up already?" Honestly, I was kind of offended, and I didn't hide it in my tone.

He sighed. "It's not you. Just..." He paused and stared at the lit-up hills in the distance. "Just in my experience, most people tend to give up."

My little flare of annoyance died quickly. Clearly, Josh was speaking about someone disappointing him from his past. But from what I knew about him already, I was pretty sure he wasn't going to just open up to me and tell me the whole story. I'd have to pry it out of him.

"So who was it? A parent? A girl?"

He chuckled. "What? Are you going to psychoanalyze me this evening? I didn't know that was part of the deal tonight."

"Yep. Free therapy session," I quipped. "But I mean it. I'd like to know what it is I'm dealing with in my new business partner."

That earned me a small smile. "Business partner. Hmm. I like it."

"Me too." I nudged his arm with mine. "So tell me. I'm thinking some girl did you wrong in the past."

He took a long sip of his drink. "Maybe."

"Aha. That's it. I knew it. What'd she do?"

"Do I have to talk about it?"

"Yep. You might as well give in. Because I don't give up easily."

"Sheesh. I'm beginning to see that." Sighing, he moved his chair closer to me, dropping his voice to a whisper. "If you must know, she cheated on me after two years."

I let out my own sigh. "Oh, shit. I'm sorry."

"Yeah. It sucked."

And that was it. That was all he was going to say. "Come on. You're not going to spill the whole story? Tell me every last detail?"

"Why the hell would I do that?"

"Duh," I said. "To make yourself feel better."

"I feel fine."

"But do you?" I narrowed my eyes at him as he shifted in his seat. "Do you really?"

"Um, yeah. Totally fine. It was two years ago, so I've kind of moved on, bro."

"Hmm, okay then. You're no fun."

"What? You want me to still be upset?"

"Well, no. Of course not. But wait, how does a cheating ex-girlfriend tie into you thinking people give up easily?"

"What are you even talking about?"

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