Page 61 of The Love Wager

I hate the way we left things.I hate that she’s not here with me.

Looking up, however, at the small town she left in her dust, I know I wouldn’t feel right dragging a girl like her back here.It’s selfish.Even if it’s the only time in my life I’ve ever wanted to put myself first.

“Rowdy crowd,” Nick says, coming into my office and shutting the noise out behind him before plopping into a chair in front of my desk.

“Typical Saturday,” I tell him without looking up from my paperwork.

With Indie’s help, I’m going to be operating in the green for the first time in forever, and it means I can order things I wasn’t able to before.

“So, we going to talk about it?”

“Talk about what?” I eye him over my reading glasses I got from the Dollar Spot when I realized the letters on the pages were a tad blurry.I refuse to go to the doctor, but for the low price of a dollar twenty-five, now I can see better and stop confusing fives and S’s.

“About whatever was up your ass when you came back from the bank. How long do we have to get out?”

He says it as if he’s come to terms with the situation we were facing, but I guess when there’s no other option…

I toss my pen down. “We’re not getting out. In fact, for the first time in a long time, we might make a profit.”

“Uhh, want to explain how? You didn’t rob the fucking bank, did you? Jesus, Brooks, this is a small fucking town. Even in a ski mask, they’d know that cheap ass cologne of yours anywhere.”

I roll my eyes at him. “No, I didn’t rob the bank, you dumbass. It’s just handled.”

“Sold your soul?”

“No.”

“Your body?”

“No.”

He opens his mouth to continue, and I blurt, “Indie paid the debt off.”

He sits back, whistling. “Well, shit. That’s not what I was expecting.”

A laugh tears out of me. “You expected me to sell my body over someone paying the debt for me?”

He shrugs. “Never know these days. Times are hard. But I have to say, I’m thankful it wasn’t that. I’d hate to pull up to the Five-n-Dime and see you on your knees behind the dumpster…”

“Will you shut the fuck up?” I laugh, and his smirk deepens.

“It’s really good to see you laugh.”

His words hit me hard, and I can’t help how quickly the smile dissipates from my face.

“Yeah, well.”

“So, you’re going to go tell her thank you?”

“I… I don’t know. Seemed like she didn’t want my thanks.”

He scoffs. “You’re an idiot sometimes. You know that? Someone doesn’t do such a grand gesture of a thing and expect nothing, Brooks.”

“She said I couldn’t repay her.”

He nods. “Alright. But how are you going to thank her?”

“I don’t know.” Sitting back in my chair, I close my eyes and relive the moment the fiery redheadblew into my life like it was yesterday, and my chest tightens.

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