Page 28 of Burning for the Truth

“Without getting burned,” he answers with regret heavy in his voice. “Look, man, I don’t want either of you to get hurt. And it was one hell of a way to have Sterling find out.”

“It’s not like it was planned, Tate. I didn’t plan to end up in her arms or in her bed. I didn’t need…” I stop before I let my heart bleed out on the phone with him.

“Didn’t need what?” he asks.

“Nothing. I’ll head over to High Road so I can keep an eye on her while she’s there. I’m not risking her safety because she told y’all to back off and me to stay away,” I tell him matter-of-factly.

“All right, man. Let me know if you need anything. And please let us know what happens after she leaves and where she’s going,” he says in quiet warning.

“Will do,” I clip back. I hang up the phone and make my way back to my truck from my living room where I’ve been sitting for the last few hours staring mindlessly at the television wondering what the hell I’m doing.

“Britt. I’m glad I caught you before it gets busy. Do you have time to take your break and eat with me? Pretty please?” I clasp my hands together in front of me and poke out my lower lip.

Brittney is wiping the counter and stops to look up at me and laughs. “You look pathetic, Bree. Stop making that face. You know I always have time for you, my beautiful bestie.”

I reach across the bar separating us to grab her hands and squeeze gently. “Thank you, babe. For real…I could use an unbiased ear right about now.”

She wrinkles her nose. “That bad huh? Let me grab our dinner special—chicken fingers and fries tonight—and I’ll be right out.”

“I’ll be right here.” I wink at her like I normally would. The playful side of me retreated the day I lost Drew. She peeks around the corner testing the waters so to speak every now and then, but that side of me mostly stays hidden and I’m not sure it will ever totally resurface. I drum my nails on the counter as I wait for Brittney to come back.

High Road is about to be flooded with patrons being a Saturday night. I glance around as people start to file in and Zander comes out to man the bar so Brittney can take her supper break with me. “How’s it going, Bree?” he asks flashing his heart-stopping smile my way. Zander is an eligible bachelor no one has been able to tame. He has an air of mystery to him, but my gut says he’s a good guy putting on a face for the world. More times than not, my gut is right.

“It’s good. Everything’s…good. How about you?” I ask smiling back.

“Business is booming as always. Don’t guess I can ask for much more,” he tells me as he cuts up oranges, lemons, and limes for drinks.

“I hear ya,” I reply. But I hear him all too loud and clear. Work has consumed my life for the last several months. I haven’t beenliving. I’ve been surviving. My thoughts drift to Drew and his carefree smile. He lived life wide open and held nothing back. Deep down, I know he’d be so pissed at me for letting my heart turn icy. He’d tell me to pick myself up and live my life…to honor his memory by not giving up. I close my eyes at the thought because it’s all easier said than done.

Briefly, my mind turns to Dean. Thoughts of him make me feel like my heart could thaw out, but I don’t trust him—I trust him with my safety but not with my heart. I gave it to him once before and he threw it away. Dean was put in my life to help me learn lessons and to help me be stronger. Nothing more. He’s a good man, but he’s not the man for me. If I ever find love again and have the strength to let it in, it will be with someone new.

Brittney bursts through the doors from the kitchen headed my way. I grab one of the baskets from her as she stops to get us a couple of sodas. We slide to the far end of the bar taking stools beside each other. Zander smiles slyly our way as he passes a customer a drink.

“I think Zander might have a thing for you,” I say as I waggle my eyebrows at her before picking up a french fry, drowning it in ketchup and plopping it in my mouth.

Brittney laughs and shakes her head, but her cheeks turn red all the same. “I don’t think so. But quit deflecting. You needed me—you don’t need to analyze what youthinkis going on with me. So, what happened? Tell me everything. People are talking already.”

I swallow my food down and proceed to recount the events from facing Dean for the first time, to what happened at Drew’s house—but leaving out details which might compromise the investigation—to Dean ending up in my bed and Sterling finding out. Once I’m done, Brittney stares at me with wide eyes and her lips slightly parted in shock.

“Oh crap, Bree. That’s…that’s a lot. I can’t believe all that happened. But um…I think I need to hear more about you and Dean.” She stares at me with an intrigued smile on her lips which seems hopeful, but somehow reserved.

“To start with, there is nome and Dean.But it felt good to want and be wanted again. I think it was one of those moments where we were both trying to fill a void. I don’t know.” I shrug my shoulders and sigh wistfully. “Sterling and Tate walking into my apartment after the fact was a less than stellar moment for all parties involved though, I can assure you.”

Brittney laughs. “I can only imagine. What did Sterling say?”

I can’t help but laugh too at the thought of how red Sterling’s face turned. “He was ready to light into Dean for taking advantage of me. And I all but told him it was the other way around. He got really quiet, real fast.”

She quirks an eyebrow up. “I bet it was awkward as hell. But I wouldn’t be so quick to write Dean off, babe. There could be something there. You two have history—you grew up together.”

“Yep, we sure do. I’ve never told anyone this, but he was my first love or crush or whatever you want to call it. But he never gave me the time of day. I was his best friend’s annoying little sister. I have no intention of letting him tear my heart out again. You’re right, we have history…way too much of it. He was such good friends with Drew too, which is one reason I avoided him for so many months. Seeing him reminds me of Drew. It’s a bad idea, and I have no reason to find out anything more,” I tell her breathlessly, unsure if I’m trying to convince her or myself.

Brittney’s face softens as she smiles thoughtfully and leans into me. “I know you’re scared, but what if Dean is exactly who you’re supposed to be with? You both have lost something, yet in a different way. You add your history to that and what happened at your apartment…I’d say there’s a spark of something real there. Don’t pretend you haven’t thought it. Besides, I think he has deeper feelings for you than you realize.”

I guffaw. “How could you possibly know that?”

She tips her head toward the door and smiles before standing and kissing the top of my head. I turn around to see what she’s looking at and find Dean’s stormy eyes on me. I whip around to face Brittney again and she winks at me. “Really, Britt? That’s subtle.”

“He came here for you,” she says perceptively.

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