Page 105 of Hate to Love You

“Are you being serious right now?” he whispers. “That’s what you think of me?”

I tilt my head. “Come on, you’ve spent your entire life whoring around. You couldn’t even tell me how many women you’ve slept with.”

He shakes his head. “I can’t believe you’re throwing that in my face. I was trying to be honest with you.” His whiskey-colored eyes fill with pain.

“And I’m just trying to do the same.”

He reaches across the table. Desperation is written in every line of his face. “What’s going on with you, Natalie? Where’s this all coming from?”

The tears are so close to the surface that they burn the backs of my eyelids. I’m not sure how much longer I can keep the emotion in check.

I shrug. “I’ve just been thinking about it a lot lately, and I don’t think a relationship is going to work between us in the long run. I don’t want to waste either of our time.”

Looking upset, he draws back again. “Well, I appreciate your honesty.”

“I’m sorry. I really am. You’re a wonderful guy. I hope you know that.”

He snorts as he gets to his feet. “Sure. I’m a great guy. Just not for you, right?”

“That’s not what I said,” I whisper desperately.

“You didn’t have to.”

Panic floods through me, and I shoot out of my seat. Even though I know what I’m doing is best for Brody, it’s not easy. The last thing I want is to hurt him, but that seems to be the only way.

“Brody, wait—”

“I’m going to take off.” He picks up his jacket and shrugs into it. “I’ll see you around, okay?”

I nod miserably.

There’s nothing more to say.

He slams through the door and the tears I’d been holding back leak from my eyes.

“I love you, too,” I whisper into the silence, knowing he’ll never realize how I truly feel about him.

In order to break his heart, I had to break my own.

Chapter Forty-One

Brody

“Have another beer, bro,” Sawyer says. “It’ll help dull the pain.”

He tosses me a can of Miller Light. I catch it with one hand from the couch I’m sprawled on, pop the top, and take a long swig. I can’t imagine anything dulling the pain rampaging through me, but I don’t say that because I already feel like the world’s biggest pussy.

Tonight turned out to be an epic fail. I told Natalie that I loved her and she, in return, told me she needed to slow-track our relationship to the point of nonexistent.

It’s almost laughable. Except I might just cry.

I really thought Natalie and I had something special. How did I misread the whole situation? It doesn’t make any sense. I keep going over it in my head, but nothing adds up.

What I do know is that I’m going to wring Luke’s neck when I see him. This is all his fault.

Make her dinner, he said.

Then you can talk, he said.

---