Page 42 of Recklessly Yours

“I think you two would make a cute couple.” Ashley chuckled. “Although I hope Rhett takes the news better than he did when he found out I was dating Jackson.”

“Guess we’ll never know, since I have no intention of dating Dylan.” I sighed.

God, my family was exhausting.

“If he finds out another one of his friends is dating one of his sisters, he’ll definitely lose his mind,” Bella said.

Had no one heard me? Or were they choosing to ignore what I’d said? Maybe I was attracted to him, that I could admit, but he was doing his job while also doing a favor for his best friend.

Whatever. It would be a waste of breath to try to convince them they were wrong.

Though maybe I could use a little convincing myself.

Even my own mother, who wasn’t prone to dramatics, was sending me a smirk like she agreed with my sisters.

Chapter Nineteen

DYLAN

“Sorry about Kyle.”Hattie shifted in her seat.

“It’s fine. I get it.” I slowly drove down her parents’ street. “Aiden and I were pissed too when we discovered there was no camera.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

I sent a sideways glance her way before focusing back on the road again, a lump forming in my throat. “I didn’t want to upset you.”

She was quiet for way too long before she quietly said, “I wouldn’t have been upset. Maybe a little disappointed, but not mad or anything like that.”

I nodded. Yeah, I figured that out after the news was out. Before tonight, I’d assumed she would be pissed when she discovered that the texts from her stalker had gotten us nowhere so far. It had also dawned on me that maybe the issues Becca and I had were still messing with me.

Hattie and I weren’t together, but she was the first woman that I had spent significant time with since the end of that relationship.

“You don’t need to keep things from me. I’m a big girl. I can handle it.”

It had nothing to do with thinking she couldn’t handle it. But was I really going to admit the truth?

“It wasn’t that.” I gripped the steering wheel a little tighter. “Honestly, I assumed you would be mad at me.”

“What? Why?” Mouth turned down, she studied me in the light from the streetlamps we passed. “Did you know he was going to buy the new burner at a place without cameras?”

“Well, no. But?—”

“It could have led to something, but it didn’t.” She sighed. “It is what it is, and there’s nothing we can do about it, so why stress?”

I didn’t know what to say. Of course she was right. But with Becca, it never mattered whether the issue was within my control. If I requested time off or tried to switch with another officer and it didn’t work out, it was my fault.

Her phone chimed where it sat on her lap, and she picked it up, swiping her thumb up the screen to unlock it.

“Jesus,” she huffed.

“What’s wrong?”

“Just this creep sending me yet another freaking text. I get that he’s unhinged, but take the hint already.”

I hated that this was causing her stress. And for what? It wasn’t like he was giving us anything useful.

“Go ahead and block the number.”

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