Page 35 of Force Play

“Oh yeah, playboy? Worried she told me all your dirty secrets?”

“Nah. I have nothing to hide. I would tell you every filthy detail about the time Indie and I spent together if I didn’t think she would kill me.”

“I’ll pass on the play-by-play.” She grimaces.

“Sorry. You probably have no interest in talking about this. Are you okay?”

“Do you actually care? It’s clear you still like her.”

“Well, yeah, but that doesn’t mean I’m heartless. Just because I want her doesn’t mean I can’t have empathy when you’re both hurting.”

“It wasn’t that serious. It could have been if we had met at different points in our life, but right now there are too many external factors for us to overcome.”

I don’t miss that way she raises her eyebrow at me. “And what? I’m one of those?”

“Aren’t you? You already admitted you aren’t over her. We don’t know each other well, but you’re a professional athlete. It’s a safe bet that you’re tenacious. It seems like an essential skill for someone at your level.”

My laugh is self-deprecating. “She must not have told you that much about me or I’m sure you’d know that she’s not interested in giving me a shot beyond what I’ve already had.”

“Oh no, she made that perfectly clear, but Indie doesn’t always see what’s best for her. She’s reckless; it’s how she copes with her past. Stubborn as hell, too.”

“Yeah, I’ve picked up on both those things,” I say, not sure where she’s going with this.

“You probably confuse the hell out of her. You’re everything she tells herself she doesn’t want, and everything she probably needs. But the last time she trusted herself to fall like that, it backfired in the worst way.

“I don’t think I like this.”

“Hang in there, big guy. Our girl is not an idiot, she’s self-aware. The reason she fights her attraction to you so hard is because she’s over-compensating.”

“So she wants me, but doesn’t want to want me?”

“Pretty much.”

“And how is that a good thing?”

“There’s a fine line between love and hate. Let her think that she hates you. In reality, you’re exactly what she needs, and if anyone can convince her of that, it’s you.”

“Why would you help me?”

“Same reason you’re here right now. I want her to be happy. Just because we didn’t work out doesn’t mean I don’t still care about her. Indie’s special, captivating, enchanting. I’ve known that since the first time I saw her, but you know that already.”

“Yeah, I do.”

“She deserves to find her person. It wasn’t me, but I think it might be you.”

I pull up to the terminal, shift the truck into park, and grab Bri’s bag for her. I meet her on the other side of the truck and drape the bag over her shoulder.

“Thanks for the pep talk,” I say, meaning it.

“Just take care of her. She’s as tough as she acts, but she shouldn’t have to be. Give her a place where she can rest.”

“I will.”

“I know.” It sounds genuine, which is more than I would expect given our circumstances.

As she walks away, I call out, “Hey, Bri.”

“Yeah?” She hitches her bag up and turns to face me.

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