Page 9 of Even if It Hurts

“Yes, sir,” tumbled past my strained smile as I instinctively started toward the blueberries.

The instinctive response twisted at my chest and had me struggling to remain tall and steady as I walked because I knew...I could see it. Each command I automatically followed had that future I’d been so excited for fading a little more.

But my entire life had beenyes, sirsandyes, ma’ams; desperately hoping to gain the approval of my parents and make up for my wild-hearted, reckless sister. I’d never done anything for myself—or anything against them—until I was too far away for them to notice.

And even though I’d told myself hundreds of times I was allowed to make my own choices and way in life, some habits were hard to break.

A lifetime of making everyone else happy was one of them.

“Why am I not surprised to find you here?”

My head slanted at the sound of Cameron Rush’s voice booming throughout the building I ran Shadow Industries out of. But I didn’t respond, just sat back in my desk chair and waited until his massive Scandinavian frame filled the doorway of my office.

He glanced around as if he hadn’t seen my office on a near-daily basis for years now and muttered, “Weird place for a date.”

My brows lifted. “This a date?”

A dry look crossed his face as he started for one of the chairs on the other side of my desk. “What happened with the girl Thatch set you up with tonight?”

Irritation bubbled from me as I returned my focus to my computer. “I never agreed to that.”

“You never agree to any of them.”

“Then Thatch should stop trying to set me up.”

“Or,” he began, causing me to draw in a slow, steadying breath because I knew where this was going, “you could stop beingyouand maybe take him up on it one of these times.”

“Why don’tyou?” I challenged, shooting him a curious glare.

“Don’t need to,” he said with a shrug. “I date.”

“You go onadate so Thatch won’t focus on you when he’s done trying to set me up,” I corrected and noted the subtle twitch of his hand that proved I was right. “Last thing I need is you siding with Thatch on this.”

“I’ve known you most our lives,” he said with a subdued huff. “I know you don’t wanna date. I knowyou don’t wanna settle down or have a family—I know, Briggs. But maybeyoudon’t know what you want. Have you ever thought it might be good for you?”

“No.”

He gestured to me. “It’s nearly ten on a Saturday night, and you’re working.”

“My company,” I reminded him.

“You’re always here,” he argued.

My head shifted back when I realized there wasn’t a reason for him to be there either. “Wait, why areyouhere?”

He studied me for a handful of seconds too long, the corners of his eyes creasing in that way they did when he didn’t want to tell me something and already giving away the confession that left him on a sigh. “Thatch sent me.”

“Gotta be kidding me,” I muttered as I snatched my phone off the desk, only to realize I had over a dozen missed calls and texts from the members of my team, Rush included.

At the questioning glare I sent his way, Rush lifted a placating hand. “Apparently the girl you stood up?—”

“Never agreed to go,” I ground out.

“—called Thatch in a state,” he continued as if I’d never spoken. “And no one could get ahold of you, so they called me.”

“I never agreed to go,” I repeated, annunciating each word and syllable.

“I know,” Rush muttered and pushed out a heaving breath as he leaned forward to rest his forearms on his knees. “But I thinkmaybe you should. Not necessarily with one of Thatch’s finds,” he hurried to add.

---