Page 26 of Someday You Learn

Shaking my head, I fight back the tears that are threatening to fall. I can’t cry. I don’t want him to see that his words affect me, but they do—because he’s right.

God, I’m a fucking mess.

“Look, I don’t expect you to understand. You have a career you love, a picture-perfect family and life here, and I’m sure you’ve made very few mistakes in your life.” His face falls a little. “But that hasn’t been my path, and for once in my life, I’m deciding to do something thatIwant. I’m sorry that I dragged you into this, but I’m scared, Parker. My entire life just went up in flames, and I’m standing here with a fire extinguisher that I don’t know how to use.” One tear slides down my cheek, but I swipe it away. “All I’m asking for is your help. I need time. I need space to figure out if I can make my dreams a reality. Haven’t you ever fallen on your ass and needed someone to help you back up?”

He stares at me for so long that I’m sure he’s about to tell me that I have no one but myself to blame for where I’ve ended up. And he’d be partially right. But when he finally speaks, his words shock me.

“How long were you thinking?”

I blink at him slowly. “What?”

Clearing his throat, he reaches for his glass, takes a sip, and sets it back down. “How long do you need to figure things out?”

“Um, I don’t know… Three or four months?”

He nods. “So until June?”

“Yeah…that should probably work.” Honestly, I have no idea how long my plans might take, but if that’s what he’s willing to give me, I’ll make it work.

“Okay.”

My mouth falls open. “You’re…agreeing to this?”

He blows out a breath and shakes his head. “Apparently so.”

I jump up from my side of the booth and launch myself at him. “Oh my God, Parker! Thank you!”

His arms instinctively wrap around me as I lean against him, breathing in his scent that’s just as intoxicating as I remember from our night together. I immediately melt against him, sliding into the seat next to him.

When I lean back, Parker’s eyes are on my lips.

Oh my God. Is he going to kiss me?

More importantly, do I want him to?

Yes, Cashlynn. Do you remember how well this man kisses? Mount him, right here. No one’s around. Seal your fake engagement the old-fashioned way.

Neither of us moves. Parker’s eyes remain locked on my lips, and my chest rises and falls as I take shallow breaths. Can I really be fake-engaged to this man when I’ve already slept with him? Isn’t that just asking for trouble?

But then, just as quickly, he snaps out of it, releasing me and shifting down the booth, putting a few inches between us. “Look, it’s uh…no big deal.”

“Yes, it is, Parker. You’re a good man, and I owe you so much.”

“A foolish man, maybe,” he says with a chuckle. “But you seem like you could use a friend right now, and I’ve been there. Because, despite what you may think, my life isn’t perfect.”

“I’m sorry for saying that. I just…”

He holds up a hand. “I get it. But if we’re doing this, we need to set some ground rules.” His eyes dip back down to my lips, then to my breasts, and then he glances away, pushing a hand through his hair. “Maybe you should, uh, move back to your side of the booth.”

Even though my pulse is thrumming from our proximity, I return to my seat, fixing my hair and taking a sip of water. “Okay. Rules. What are you thinking?”

“Well, for starters, no one else can know that this is fake besides my brothers and Grady.”

I nod in agreement. “Okay.”

“And that’s only because they were there when you crashed our lunch.”

I wince. “Sorry again about that. I just wanted to explain.”

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