Page 66 of Faking It with the Off-Limits Doctor

“We?” she says, raising an eyebrow.

“Well, yes. It was we a couple of nights ago,” I counter, now feeling a desperation rise in my gut.

“There’s nothing that can be done,” she replies, ignoring my remark. “Dino is a huge household name. I’d be going against a giant. Like David against Goliath.”

“If my memory serves me well, didn’t David win?”

She rolls her eyes. “He did, but I don’t think a slingshot and a rounded pebble will cut it this time. Besides, it’s too late. The dish is now his, and there’s nothing I can do about it. I was angry for a while. And sometimes when I slip back into thinking about it, I let myself get angry again, which is silly.”

“That’s why you didn’t want to talk about it when I asked you in the diner that day.”

“That was partly it.” She shrugs. “But the other part was my pride. From a high-end restaurant to a small-town diner? Scurrying back to Riverdale with my tail between my legs is not something I’m very proud of.”

“You did nothing wrong, Dara.”

“I could have stayed.”

I shake my head. “Your principles wouldn’t allow it. Besides, you’d be miserable.”

He nods. “I would.”

A silence falls between us for a long moment, and I’m wary of moving the conversation forward in case it looks like I don’t care about her story. I do care, I’m just impatient to know where we go from here.

Does that make me a bad person?

I don’t know. Maybe.

“So,” she says, “where do we go from here?”

I’m astonished because it’s like she’s read my mind. I know we’ve spent a lot of time together over the last few weeks, but I’m still surprised that we’re so in sync. I’m also relieved that she’s said it so I don’t have to.

“We sat on my porch the other night holding hands and talking about our future. Is that now completely off the table? Have I ruined everything with my rash decision and overreaction?”

Dara doesn’t answer and instead gazes at me with an expression I can’t fathom. I can’t figure out if she’s thinking about my words or if she’s already made her mind up.

She’s here, though. That has to stand for something.

It does, and grabbing hold of that sliver of hope, I realize that if there was ever a time I need to allow myself to be vulnerable, it’s now.

“The thing is, Dara,” I continue, “I can admit when I’m wrong. And I was. Very wrong. I should have given you a chance to explain. More than that, I should have trusted you to know that you wouldn’t have put the deal in jeopardy. It was a stupid reaction. One I regret deeply. And truly, I am sorry about the horrible way I spoke to you in that text.”

“I understand,” she says.

“I don’t think you do. The thing is, I was scared.”

She frowns at me then. “You? Scared?”

“It happens.” I smile weakly.

“Because you were worried that Astrid might say something,” Dara concludes.

I shake my head. “Not about that. Nowhere close. I was scared of loving you.”

Dara’s eyes fly wide at my words.

“I’ve been fighting my feelings, worrying that you wouldn’t feel the same. While at the same time, scared of taking that step into a relationship again. There hasn’t been anyone since Cindy, and if I’m honest, I didn’t think there would be again. Until you came along and turned my world on its head.”

She half smiles. “You get a different perspective when you’re upside down. My yoga teacher told me that.”

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