Page 12 of Stuffed

"Their projections are solid," I say instead of engaging with his teasing. "Conservative even. They've done their research."

"They have. Impressive, isn't it?" There's something soft in his voice when he talks about the business. About Ivy.

"Speaking of impressive…" I turn the tables. "You and Miss Calloway seem rather cozy."

His face lights up at her name. Amateur. "She's incredible, isn't she? The way she transformed those basic cookie recipes into something unique. And her mind for innovation?—"

"You've got it bad, little brother."

"Maybe." He shrugs, not even trying to deny it. "But at least I'm not fighting it."

The jab lands. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means I see the way you look at Tessa when you think no one's watching. You’ve never looked at anyone else that way."

I lean against my car, suddenly exhausted. "What do you want me to say, Ash?"

"How about the truth? That you've wanted her since you were seventeen but were too scared to do anything about it?"

"I wasn't scared," I snap. "She was too young. Too… good."

"And now?"

"Now she's…" I trail off, remembering the fire in her eyes when she defended their business model. The way she challenges me without fear. "Different."

"Different good or different bad?"

"Just different." I run a hand through my hair. "More confident. More…"

"More of a challenge?"

I glare at him. "When did you get so insightful?"

"Around the same time you got so obvious." He pushes off his car. "Look, I'm not telling you what to do. But Tessa's special. She sees past all your walls and defense mechanisms. And for some inexplicable reason, she actually seems to like what she sees."

"That's her mistake."

"No, Zane. Your mistake is pushing away the one person who might actually be worth letting in."

I start to argue but my phone buzzes. A text from Tessa.

Tessa

Just so you know, those projections you were skeptical about? They're actually conservative. I can walk you through the raw data if you need convincing. Over coffee maybe?

"Speaking of obvious," Asher says, reading over my shoulder. "She's not subtle."

"Never has been." The words come out softer than I intend.

"So? Are you going to take her up on it?"

I stare at my phone, thumb hovering over the keys.

Me

Coffee won't convince me of anything.

Her response is immediate.

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