Page 19 of Dating the Bad Boy

“It’s fucking complicated.”

“Clearly. Explain it anyway.”

I launch into an explanation, pacing around the living room. Every few seconds, I peer through the windows, checking for her little blue car. Naturally, the street out front remains empty.

“I should have gone with her, right?” I finally mutter, running out of steam.

“Jesus,” Aidan finally mutters. “How the fuck did the matchmaker find the one girl in Texas that you were going to fall in love with in two seconds?”

I don’t deny his accusation because he’s right. Maybe it’s fast and crazy, but whatever. I’m fucking crazy about her. Doesn’t take a lifetime to figure out that my heart feels like it’s going to beat out of my chest for her because it belongs to her. Maybe some motherfuckers need months and background checks and all that bullshit. That’s a them problem. It’s not a me problem.

“She’s a genius.”

Aidan snorts.

I don’t think he believes in love. Or maybe he doesn’t have time for it. I don’t fucking know. He’s an odd motherfucker who had too much responsibility on his shoulders too young. It made him cranky.

“Should I go over there or not?”

“Uh, fuck no.”

I pull the phone away from my ear to scowl at it. I should have called Caroline. She’s more helpful. “Why the fuck not?”

“Because, for once in your life, you’re actually right about something,” he says. “The last thing you need to do is get involved in this thing between her and her parents. She needs to handle that on her own. Unless she stands on her own two feet and says what she needs to say, they’ll always think you came between them. That’s the last thing you need if you want them to see you as someone worthy of their daughter. It goes against every one of your instincts because you like to fix things for the people you love, but you have to let her handle this one on her own.”

“Goddammit,” I mutter, pacing again. He’s right. I fucking hate it when he’s right. It’s a helluva lot more fun for me when he’s wrong. It doesn’t happen often.

“If she feels the same way you do, she’ll be back.”

“And if she doesn’t?” I ask, worry eating me alive. I told her how I felt. She didn’t say it back. What if it’s too soon for her? What if she doesn’t feel the same way? What if she never does? I know she likes me. Really fucking likes me or she never would have slept with me. But maybe I opened my big goddamn mouth and scared her off.

“Then she doesn’t deserve you, brother,” Aidan says quietly. “You deserve someone just as wild and crazy about you as you are about her. And if she’s the girl you think she is, she’s that girl. You didn’t avoid dating and piss off half the women in this town just to fall for one who isn’t worthy of you. You’ve always known exactly what you wanted. Trust that she knows, too.”

“Well, damn.” I clear my throat roughly. “Maybe you do have a tiny heart somewhere in there, asshole.”

“Fuck off with that bullshit,” he growls, making me grin. He may like to pretend he’s a hard ass, but the people who know him know better. He’s a fucking caretaker and always has been. After our parents died, he held it together for me and Caroline. Shit, he ran the goddamn company by himself so I could run off to the Army.

“Fine, I’ll let you keep pretending you have a heart of stone and enjoy rubbing them out by your goddamn self,” I say.

“You are such an asshole.” He chuckles.

“Not my fault you’re on the verge of shooting dust and it’s making you cranky.” God, Letty is a genius for adding that insult to my arsenal. “Maybe I should hire the matchmaker to find you a wife before you’re too goddamn old to procreate.”

“I will kill you,” he growls. And then he pauses. “But who the fuck is this matchmaker anyway?”

“Why? You going to hire her yourself?”

“Fuck no. I want to make sure she isn’t coming after me next. She’s already got you and Caroline. We aren’t making this a trifecta.”

“Don’t know,” I say, shrugging. “I don’t think anyone knows.”

“Interesting. Maybe it’s time to expose her. She can’t keep fucking with people if everyone knows who she is.”

“She isn’t fucking with people, Aidan.”

He grunts, which I take to mean he’s ignoring the fuck out of my comment. “Good luck with your girl. I gotta go.”

“Thanks, asshole. Leave the matchmaker alone!”

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