Page 62 of The Wrong Date Deal

He nodded. “We’ve been, well, I thought we were—no, we were, it’s just…”

August’s heart broke for him. She didn’t need him to finish his sentences to understand what he was getting at, but she would give him all the time he needed if he wanted to.

She sat beside him, putting a hand over one of his briefly. “You don’t have to tell me.”

“No, no. I want to. I came over here because I needed space, but also because I really needed to talk about it.” He shot her a look. “I just don’t want to shit all over your romantic night.”

“For God’s sake, Ford. It wasnota romantic night. It was one friend teaching another friend what she learned in a dance class.”

“Sure it was.” He laughed and then sighed heavily. “I guess, recently, Holly and I have been… friends kind of like that.”

August cleared her throat, desperately not wanting to validate the idea that she and Piper were friends with romantic tension, but how could she deny it and have it feel like anything but a lie after tonight? Sure, before tonight, she’d had a leg to stand on, but, once you let the curtain drop so very fully, there didn’t seem to be any going back.

Ford glanced at her briefly. “She started being flirty and kind and, you know, especially after you helped with the rent and stuff, she was just…” He let out a frustrated sigh. “I thought she felt something.”

“She didn’t?”

“Nope. Not unless the thing she was feeling was manipulation.”

“What?”

He rolled his eyes. “I was in the middle of cooking for them all tonight—something she’d requested—and I needed a pan from my room. When I went upstairs, I overheard her and Tom… together. I guess I was just someone to keep sweet so I’d make them food and bail them out.”

“Shit. I’m sorry, Ford.”

“It is what it is. I just hate being used and manipulated.”

“Understandable.” August took a measured sip of her drink. “Did you like her?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know. I felt like I didn’t really know her, but I’d be lying if I said the attention wasn’t nice.” He groaned, sinking further into the sofa. “Ugh. That sounds so self-centered.”

“No, it doesn’t. People like attention being paid to them. There’s no shame in that. It’s nice feeling like someone likes us.”

“I guess.”

“It doesn’t say anything about you that this happened, or that you enjoyed the attention.”

“Sure. I could just do with a break, you know? Something good happening.”

August winced. “Yeah. I’m sorry things have been rough lately.”

He waved her off. “Totally fine. And I’ll be fine in the morning. Just need some rest and everything will look better tomorrow.”

“It’s okay if it doesn’t.”

He squeezed her hand and looked up at her with an exhausted smile. “Thanks, August.”

“No problem.”

They sat in silence for a moment, just allowing Ford time to process. Finally, he sucked in a breath and looked at her. “Say, August?”

“Yes, Ford?”

“I think I’m ready.”

“Ready?”

“Yeah. To move out. I think I’m ready.”

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