Page 26 of Shes my 1 Try

“You can’t do that,” she moans, but even in her complaint, I can see the beginnings of her doubt.

“Sure I can. I know how much of a pain in the ass I can be, so the ball is in your court, my love. Call Simon right now and all this goes away.” I thrust my bottom lip out and pretend to cry, making horrible wailing sounds, Ines slamming her hands up over her ears.

“God, I hate you,” she yells over the top of me.

“You fucking love me and you know it,” I poke my tongue out, getting down on the floor, and throw myself around like a toddler having a tantrum.

“You don’t play fair, Wiley Nolan,” she pouts, stamping her foot.

“Would you expect anything less?” I smirk up at her, waggling my eyebrows. “I can’t have my best friend throwing away the love of her life because she’s scared. Love is a leap of faith, Ines. You just have to close your eyes and jump.”

“Is that what you did?” she offers me a smirk of her own and considering she already called me out on being in love, I see no point in denying it.

“You bet your sweet ass I did. Whatever Asher and I are, well, we’ll figure it out. All I know is, I want him in my life.” Jumping up off the floor, I offer her a chance to argue, but she stays silent. “Well, what’s it gonna be?”

“URGH! Fine! I will call him…tomorrow?—”

“NO! You call him now, in front of me, or no deal.” I state, offering her no prospect of backing away without hurting me. Yeah, I know, that makes me a bitch, but I don’t care. Ines deserves happiness and if I have to use all my skills of persuasion to get her to see I’m right, then that’s what I’ll do.

“Has anyone ever told you, you’re a cruel, cruel woman?” she grumbles, and I shrug, but she pulls her phone out. “He won’t answer, so it doesn’t matter. I’ll have fulfilled my end of this dastardly blackmail, and you’ll have to go to Vegas. In the end, I will be victorious.”

“We’ll see.” Folding my arms across my chest, I gesture for her to put the phone on speaker, but she shakes her head. It was worth a try.

With the phone pressed to her ear, she paces in front of the window giving me an I-told-you-so look every time she turns back in my direction. My heart aches as the seconds tick by and Ines’s face pales. I knew it was a risk to force her hand and that Simon might very well not answer, but I had to try, and so did she.

After what seems like ages, Ines lets go a deep, frustrated growl. The tears she’s been holding back finally release. Closing my eyes for a second, I take a deep breath and reach out a hand for her, when her eyes go wide.

“Simon?” We both hold our breaths. Me waiting to hear more, her obviously listening. “I…I’m sorry. Can we talk?”

As she walks toward her bedroom, she squeezes my shoulder and I breathe a sigh of relief. Whatever happens next is all on them. I just hope she takes this second chance at love.

TEN

Asher

I can’t believe I forgot to charge my damn headphones. It’s the last straw. This promotional tour has been one giant pain in the ass. And the worst thing, well, there are two fucked-up things. One, they paired me with Tyler Wannek—fucking wanker. He’s been the biggest douche from the moment I stepped off the plane in Melbourne for the first leg of the tour. And two, I fucking miss Wiley.

Replaying our kiss over and over every night before I go to sleep has made getting said sleep next to impossible. Juggling my commitments to the Dingoes and this damn book hasn’t been easy. On more than one occasion, I’ve nodded off while talking to Wiley. She’s been forgiving, but I’m hating myself for every minute I miss with her.

Stretching my legs out on the hard plastic seating at the boarding gate area, I’m not looking forward to the last leg of this tour. Sixteen plus hours on a plane where I can’t stretch my legs out because that fucking wanker Tyler convinced the woman at the check-in counter that he needed the seat for his dodgy knee. Fucking asshat.

I get that I’m lucky to be doing this and that everything has been paid for. I just…

“Move your feet, dipshit.” Peering up at the man who owns the voice, I cock my head to the side and cross one foot over the other, leaving them where they are.

“Walk around, asshole.” If Tyler wants to trade insults, I am happy to oblige, but I won’t let him fluster me. Not here.

“If we weren’t in an airport?—”

“You’d what?” I cut him off, making a fist at my side, ready for whatever stupidity Tyler has in mind.

“You know what? You’re not worth all the hassle,” he hisses, popping his neck side-to-side. “Enjoy your middle seat, cocksucker. I know I’m gonna love the premium economy upgrade I just scored.”

A smirk a mile wide, one I want to smack right of his smug face, taunts me as he moves over to the seats assigned to premium economy. Of course, he got an upgrade. Like what the fuck did I do to the universe? Was I some mass-murdering asshole in a previous life? Seriously?

“I hope you choke on a nut,” I call out, Tyler flipping me the bird over his shoulder.

Just a few more days and I’ll be back home, I tell myself, sighing heavily. All this will be a bump in the road and I have a lot to look forward to. Wiley has agreed to come down to Sunshine Bay for a few days. Mandy pitching in to help me unpack everything, finally, so my house doesn’t look like a bomb hit it. Still want to smack the shit-eating grin Tyler’s throwing my way off his face, but all assholes have their day.

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