Page 152 of Past the Broken Bridges

This time, I don’t answer him.

Paxton glances in the direction of my father before looking at the ground. “How are things with your family?”

That’s what he wants to talk about? “We’re friends, aren’t we?”

His gaze lifts. “Yes.”

“At one point, it seemed like we were more,” I press, swallowing down the embarrassment of the non-question. “And I know I messed that up, and I know you know why I had to. But you can be honest with me.”

If I have to ask, isn’t that answer enough?

Paxton closes his eyes. “Sawyer…”

“She called you Paxton.”

He closes his eyes and pushes his glasses up with a long exhale. “Desiree has always done whatever she’s wanted. She knows what buttons to push to get a reaction. But she doesn’t matter. She hasn’t mattered in a long time. I don’t think she ever did, if I’m being real with you.”

All I can do is nod, feeling embarrassed that I’m jealous when I have no right to be.

“You chose this,” he reminds me.

“I know.” I swallow. “Friends. Friends is good. Friends is what I…I need.”

Friends is all it should be.

I start backing up.

“Birdie,” he says, trying to stop me. “Thank you for being here. It would have meant a lot to Dawson.”

His eyes are pleading like he wants to say so much more, but he refrains.

So he settles with “It means a lot to me. Dixie…she wanted to stay. But she couldn’t handle it. You should check on her.”

“She hasn’t been talking to me,” I admit.

“She’s upset about a lot of things,” he tells me quietly. “But regardless of that, she needs a friend. You can push me away all you want, but don’t push her away. Even if she lets you.”

I stare down at the ground. He cares about her. That’s…good, I decide. Really good.

I told Dixie he’d need her someday.

“I’ll try,” I say.

“Good.”

I peek up at him. “Good.”

As I start walking away, I see his face pale at somebody lingering off to the side.

“Banks?” I ask.

His nostrils flare, and I swear I see his jaw grind the way it did when he got into an argument with his father on the phone the first night we ever slept together.

Selfish.

That’s what he was upset about.

But he’s the least selfish person I know.

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