Page 35 of Everything I Crave

“You could say that.” I roll my eyes.

“Is she drinking again?” Porter asks, concerned. His sister just completed rehab in Florida, so he’s sensitive to these things.

“No, no she’s abided by my rule. It’s just -”

“You want her?” Colton interrupts.

“I don’t know. I mean yes I do, but she’sBabyHarper. She’s got a lot of stuff going on in her life, and I don’t know. You saw how Lorelei acted when she found out that she was moving in. What would she say if she knew I wanted to date Willow?” I ramble off my concerns. “Plus I’m her goddamn boss!”

“Listen man, I get more than anyone having a million doubts and bullshit reasons. But Willow would be lucky to have you in her corner. Lorelei will be happy as long as her daughter is happy, and taken care of. Talk to her. I guarantee she’ll respect that and give you her blessing if it’s what you want. But make sure you’re not just in this for a fuck and run.”

Porter dated Addy in high school and they recently reconnected. I know that getting Lorelei’s blessing was a huge deal for him.

“I’m her boss.”

“Are you going to fuck her over?” Colton asks.

“Of course not! How could you think that I would do that?” I ask him.

“I know you wouldn’t. I just want you to see that all your reasons are bullshit. Excuses are like assholes, man. Everyone’s got one.” Colton smiles at his own bad joke.

“Listen, all of this sounds like something happened. So want to tell us why all our women got called out right before we got called out.” Preston levels me with a stare.

“She threw herself at me. And I told her I couldn’t do it.” I rub my hand over my face, I know I fucked up. "After I kissed her."

“Oh, bad move, my man, bad move.” Porter leans back in his chair and grabs a beer out of the bucket.

“I know, hence why I called you dumbasses.” I grab my Coke from the bucket next to their beers.If ever a situation tempted me to crack open a cold one, it’s this one.

“Well, she called in the cavalry so Lorelei most likely knows the whole situation. I’d say the fact she isn’t here now, is a good sign for you.” Preston shrugs.

A car door shuts from the back lot and I see a flash of red hair running past the gates.

“Shit. I gotta go guys, enjoy your beers on the house, if you want food just tell Bennett, he’s inside and was told to not let anyone else out here.” I don’t listen to their response and I run inside to find Willow.

When I walk in, Willow is setting her stuff down on the counter. Then I see the red splotches all down the front of her dress.

“What the hell happened to your dress, Willow? Why do you smell like alcohol?” I go from needing to fix things to pissed that she blatantly went behind my back to drink as soon as things got tough.

“It’s wine, not that you have any right to say shit.” She spits out before turning her back to me and walking to her room and slamming the door.

I walk to her door and knock on it. “Willow, you promised you wouldn’t drink!”

“Fuck you, Gunnar. You aren’t my keeper. You don’t even want me!” She yells through the walls.

She rips the door open dressed for work and storms by me. Again slamming the door.

“New fucking rule! No slamming the goddamn doors!” Fuck. That went worse than I could have even imagined!

I lean against the wall in the hallway, rubbing my face with my hands. I need to get dressed for work myself. I know I totally fucked up my chance when she got home, but she didn’t need to go out drinking!

When I get into the kitchen, Mack steps into my path.

“I told you to figure your shit out.” She crosses her arms and doesn’t let me pass.

“I did!” I continue, “I just didn’t get the chance to tell her that.”

“Obviously, you idiot, she’s crying in my walk-in.”

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