Page 62 of Fall With Me (Sugarland Creek)

“Um…because he’s hot?”

“Mybrother?”

“Yeah.”

“Landen?”

I roll my eyes at Noah’s insistence to keep asking her.

“Yes! Do you think he likes me?”

If my heart wasn’t already racing at how insane this situation is, it’d be rocketing to the fucking moon right now.

“I-I’m sorry. I know you have a concussion and you don’t remember him, but…what in the actual hell are you talkin’ about?”

I hold back laughter at Noah freaking the fuck out. Not that I blame her.

“What do you mean? Oh shit, is he married? I didn’t see a ring.”

Definitelynotmarried.

“No.” Noah laughs again. “But you don’t exactly like Landen. Hell, I’d argue that you hate him.”

I pinch the bridge of my nose and contemplate barging out there to shove Noah out of the room just to shut her up. But I don’t because I want to hear what else Ellie has to say about me.

“Why would I hate him? He seems very sweet. Plus, he’s too hot to hate.”

“Actually, I dunno why because you never told me, but trust me. You can’t stand him.”

“So why is he here if I hated him so much?”

Question of the century.Because I’m stupidly obsessed with you.

“Well, Landen helped you train. Technically, he helped me help you train. And he was very worried about you, so he drove us here as soon as the ambulance took off from the rodeo.”

“Did he know I hated him?”

“Yeah, we pretty much all do.”

“So wait. You’re sayin’ he helped me train and came to watch me race even knowing I hated him?”

Noah pauses, then finally responds, “Yes.”

“That doesn’t sound right. What guy would do that for someone who doesn’t like them? I couldn’t have really hated him, then?”

“Trust me, you did.”

Goddammit, Noah.Put in a good word for me or something.

“Landen continued to be nice and supportive because he liked you. He tried for years to get you to like him back. But I guess he finally realized you never would and has a girlfriend now.”

Fuck my life. She really just threw out any ounce of hope I just had out the window.

“Oh…” Ellie’s voice sounds disappointed, and now I’m worried I’ve been in here too long. “Do you think it’s serious?”

Noah bursts out laughing. “Now I know they gave you the good pain meds if you’re pushin’ this hard for Landen.”

And that’s my cue to get out of here.

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