Page 107 of Playing Flirty

I reminded myself this wasn’t about me. Or William. I swallowed the lump in my throat.

“They’re big boys. They can figure it out. This doesn’t affect you and Shaun,” I whispered, steadying my voice. “You two are perfect. And I’m fine. You don’t have to worry about me.”

“I thought Patrick’s proposal would be the curveball. I didn’t expect this.” Neema shut her eyes, taking deep, intentional breaths.

“There are still a few days before the wedding. Maybe they’ll sort it out. I hear siblings fight all the time.”

She nodded, but neither of us believed that.

The door across the hall slammed shut. Neema and I waited, listening for a second pair of footsteps. A moment later, Shaun entered the room without knocking, his face red with anger and tears shining in his eyes.

“I messed up,” he said, avoiding eye contact with me.

The door across the hallway slammed again, and we jumped. William’s recognizable footsteps walked past the door and down the hall.

There were a lot of things I wanted to say to Shaun, but he was a broken shell of a man in need of comfort—comfort I couldn’t give him and wasn’t sure I wanted to. I slipped through the door, leaving them alone to talk. My conversation with Shaun would happen eventually.

I ran down the hall and made my way to the parking area, where William stood behind his car, throwing his bag into the trunk.

“Where are you going?” My stomach clenched with a harshness I didn’t know was possible.

“I need to get out of here.” He banged the trunk closed and stormed to the driver’s side of the car.

I was rooted to the ground, afraid if I took a step toward him I’d fall apart. “Can we talk?”

He fumbled his keys as he attempted to unlock it. I’d never seen him so frantic.

I opened my mouth to ask him about Stacey, but my voice got caught in my throat at the redness in his eyes when he looked up at me.

“Rose, please. I can’t do this now.” His voice shook.

“Do what now?” I managed, each word almost hurting as it escaped me.

“This. Play this game.” He shut his eyes, pressing his fingers against his eyelids.

My heart cracked open at his words. This wasn’t a game to me. Not anymore. But when I tried to speak, when I wanted to ask him to reassure me, Shaun’s words struck me.

Was Shaun right? Was this a game for William?

The broken parts of me shattered.

When I said nothing, he shook his head and muttered under his breath, “Patrick is still in your spreadsheet, and even after all of this… You really don’t remember. I’m such an idiot.”

“What?” was all I got out, and I must have looked pathetic saying it because William’s entire expression softened with one look at me.

“Rose…”

He paused, and I thought he might walk over to me. I thought he might hold me. Instead, he froze before going ramrod straight. I turned in time to see Shaun marching up to us.

“I can’t be around him right now.” William’s voice cracked in a way I had never heard before. “We had a huge fight.”Inhaling a shaking breath, he opened his car door and dropped into the driver’s seat. “Rose, I just need time. I’m trying here. I’m really trying. I didn’t mean to screw all of this up, okay? Even though I should’ve known I would.” He groaned and shook his head. “Shaun was right about one thing: You’re too good, and as usual, I managed to ruin everything.”

“William,” Shaun said upon reaching us, but his brother was already in the car, and the engine drowned out our voices.

Shaking his head, William closed the door and shifted into gear. Then he drove off without another word, leaving me behind to face my aching heart.

Round 36

At some point in the night, I woke up to a chain of text messages:

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