Page 5 of My Heart To Heal

‘Guys, I’m sorry, I need to go.’

I don’t give either of them a chance to speak before I rush away.

YouWant To Hit On Me, Nick, You Do It Sober

Nick

Do you have pets?

That’s what I went with. What was I going to follow that up with? You should bring them around sometime.Jesus, Nick, real smooth.

I thought I’d caught her interest. I’d noticed her at the barbecue a few weeks ago and was sure she’d been checking me out. I considered trying to talk to her that day, but she was with her son, and then I was called away to an emergency.

When I saw her here today, I knew I had to get an introduction, and then I heard her sing. Shit, her voice is pretty — the curve of her ass in that tight black dress is pretty nice too.

I don’t know what I was thinking. I should know better.

I’m not good with women. I never was. They seem to like me, but then I fuck it up. I can’t talk to them in the right way. I don’t have the confidence or cockiness that Doug and Leo have. I just always seem to say the wrong thing. My last relationship ended because when she saidI love you, I said,I know.It’s not that I didn’t feel the same way. I mean, I think I felt the same way, but women make my brain scramble, and the wrong things come out.

I usually wait until I’m a couple of drinks in and can pretend I’m a little smoother than I am, but when I saw her with Bree, I thought that was the best chance to get a real introduction. I didn’t anticipate her pretty much running away.

I sink another beer as I watch her rush back to the small stage set up and see the interaction with the guitarist: the way he smiles at her, touches her arm, the wide happy grin on her face, and I feel such a fool. Why would a woman like that, confident, fun, beautiful, and talented, someone who makes people laugh and embrace her despite barely knowing her, ever be interested in someone like me when I can’t even muster up the balls to talk to her without a buffer?

I’m an idiot.

I’ve had too much to drink. I know I have because the sip of beer I just took turned my stomach,so I put the bottle on a nearby table as Bree steps in front of me.

‘Dance with me,’ she demands, and I shake my head no. ‘I’m sorry, did it sound like a request?’

Taking my hand, she leads me to the dancefloor. We’ve danced together before, it’s not a big deal. I don’t have the same issues talking to Bree or Zoe, which is stupid because they are ridiculously beautiful, but I’ve just known them for so long.

‘You want to tell me what’s up, or are we going to start a guessing game?’ she asks as we start to move to the music.

‘Nothing’s up.’

‘Guessing game it is.’ She rolls her eyes. ‘You caught your dick in your zipper?’

‘Jesus, that’s where we’re starting?’

‘Well, you look fuckin’ miserable, so I thought it must be bad.’

I can’t help but laugh. Bree has always been able to turn my mood around.

‘I’m fine, really. I’m just tired.’

‘Nick, you’re at a wedding with your friends, and you’re sitting there with a face like Doug.’

I laugh at that, too. Doug moved back to Forest Falls about a year before I did, and I couldn’t believe the man I found. My fun, happy friend was a grouchy asshole until he met Cara.

‘I’m in my feelings. Don’t make me talkabout them when I’ve been drinking.’

‘Nicholas, you know me better than that.’

I groan. ‘Bree, can we just dance and not talk?’

Taking pity on me, she agrees, but with a caveat. ‘You get in your feelings again, reach for your cell, not a beer. I’m always happy to talk to you.’

‘Bree.’

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