Page 60 of Tempting the Heart

“Promise?”

“You’re so weird.” I playfully punched his shoulder, and he chuckled.

“Seriously, though. It looked like something was going on over there. I just don’t want you to get your feelings hurt.”

“Why does everyone think I’m going to break or like be unable to function if Tyler sleeps with another woman besides me?” I shrugged. “I’m sure he’s experienced many women over the years.”

There was a long silence as Bryce stared at me.

I waved my hands in the air. “What?”

“Because, Mae.” Bryce’s voice softened from its usual boisterous tone. “You fell so hard for a boy you never had that you haven’t really put yourself out there. It’s like… I don’t know. It’s like you’d rather fantasize about perfection than experience someone’s flaws or experience something that might make you vulnerable, or worse yet, crumble.”

He pointed over his shoulder toward Milo’s, and my hands flew to my face in frustration. Why did everyone think I was so breakable?

My hands moved to my hips and I sighed. “Bryce, don’t you think I want to be with Tyler? He turned me down.”

“What?” Shock registered over Bryce’s expression. “Are you serious?”

I nodded, feeling the tightness in my chest when I thought about things. Tyler turned me down, but he was fine with sleeping with Bethany, and so quickly? Because that was where it would inevitably go with her. She had a free spirit about her that I desperately craved. And for a moment, when Tyler kissed me, I thought for the first time that I might finally get to let go.

I pushed my index fingers into my temples. “And then Brad got involved and put the final nail in the coffin, I’m sure.”

Bryce looked confused. “What does Brad have to do with anything? You guys are like… old.”

“Hey, buddy. We’re all the same age.”

He laughed. “I’m not saying I’m not old. I’m just confused why your brother thinks he should stick his nose in anything other than his own relationship drama.”

“That’s what I said, but I was already worn out and exhausted from being let down gently by Tyler the night before that I just… agreed.”

Bryce rolled his eyes. “This is nuts. When I see Brad, I’m going to set him straight.”

I chuckled, knowing Brad wasn’t exactly prone to taking advice from Bryce.

“Anyway, I need to get back to Dottie. I appreciate your letting me know about Tyler, but that ship has sailed. We kissed. We called it off. We’re finito.”

“You kissed?”

I nodded. “Yeah. Last night at my place.”

“And he’s already making it with Bethany?” Bryce looked perplexed. “Wow. Then you really dodged a bullet.”

“I suppose that’s one way of looking at it, but I was looking forward to at least one tryst with Tyler.”

Bryce cracked up and shook his head. “I knew you had it in you.”

“What can I say? A girl can dream, can’t she?” I shook my head and turned toward the entrance to my coffee shop.

“I’m rooting for you,” Bryce teased.

“Yay me.” I laughed, walking into my place of bliss.

Inside these walls, drama wouldn’t dare to come knocking. I’d built my own slice of heaven. My own dreams lived inside these walls, and my family was only a wall away to help me navigate whatever I might not expect.

Granted, I usually leaned on my mom for such circumstances, and now, she was living her best life in another country.

But other than that, my coffee shop was the perfect place to remind me that I was doing okay with or without a man.

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