Page 63 of The Dallas Dilemma

“I know he makes me happy,” I say. “I just don’t think I could possibly make him happy, especially now that he knows…”

My words trail off as what I’m saying hits me.That’swhat I’ve been afraid of this whole time, isn’t it? That Dallas wouldn’t want to be with me once he knows I’m JoeyB? BecauseJoeyBhas always been an asshole to him?

But he’s known fordays.He’s known, and he still wants me.

“He still wants me,” I whisper.

“What?”

I shake my head and hop upoff the couch. Callie stands, too, and I grab both of her hands in mine. A smile stretches across my face as I squeeze her hands and repeat the statement.

“He still wants me!”

“Of course, he does,” she says in the same excited tone I’d used. “You’re awesome, and he knows how lucky he is to have you.”

“I have to go,” I say, tightening my grip on her hands for a moment before releasing her.

Spinning around, I head for the door. Callie’s rambling behind me, no doubt giving me words of encouragement, but I can’t make out what she’s saying because my heart is pounding in my ears. I yank open the door, then freeze because there’s a man blocking my exit.

Dallas.

“Hello.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Dallas

“Hello,”I say, a bit startled when the door flies open before I can knock.

“Dallas,” Josette breathes, and we just stand there, staring at each other for a few seconds.

Or an eternity. I have no idea which.

I snap out of it when Callie tugs her sister out of the doorway and says, “Come in, Dallas.”

I step inside, and Callie releases Josette before skirting around me, her keys dangling from her fingers. She says something about meeting Royal, then she’s gone, the door closing behind her. Josette and I stand there in silence for several beats, then she opens her mouth to speak. I raise a hand to stop her, and she snaps her mouth closed.

“Please, let me get this out,” I say, and she presses her lips together before giving me a shallow nod. “When you and I first interacted on Cackle, I was in a bad place. It was right after my ex broke things off. You remember me telling you about that?”

Her tongue darts out to wet her lips before she nods again.

“I was spouting off a bunch of stuff I didn’t really believe because I was hurt and angry. I’d been spinning out for days, and rage-posting made me feel…not better. Maybe vindicated? I wanted people on the internet to agree with me. To make me feel like my ex was the bad guy in the whole situation. Then, this guy named Joey ripped me a new one, telling me I’d only find my other half if I trolled the bayou for a bog monster.”

I smile with that, and her cheeks turn pink as her own lips twitch.

“Verbal sparring with you brought me back to life, Josette. Sure, I thought you were some dude with an almost unhealthy obsession with romcom movies, but then again, so was I. I set up my notifications to alert me whenever you posted something or replied to one of my posts. No one else. Just you.

“I started posting stuff Iknewyou’d react to just so I could get the reaction. Hell, you’re the only reason I’ve continued to post regularly on Cackle since that first day. Our beef was what got me through the breakup. It got me through seeing her move on and get married so quickly and my subsequent move to a new town where I knew no one until a customer service reptold me she lived across the hall from my new apartment.”

She swallows visibly, but remains silent, giving me the time I asked for to spit out everything that I’m feeling.

“After we met,JoeyBwas no longer the most important person in my life.Josettewas.” I bark out a laugh. “It’s like a God damn romcom. We went from anonymous enemies to friends to lovers, but now you know, Joey, we were never enemies. Not really. I need that feisty side of you. I also need the sweet, caring side I got to know in person. Your quirkiness, your humor, your trust. I need all of it, because, quite simply,you complete me.”

“Shut up,” she says suddenly, startling me. “Just…shut up.”

I draw back, but there’s humor in her gaze before her gorgeous eyes start to fill with tears. I start to panic, thinking I’ve gone about this all wrong, then she smiles, and some of my anxiety starts to fade.

“You had me at hello.”

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