Page 82 of All Dressed Up

He moved his arm from the back of the bench. Something was wrong. “Was she happy with the new dress?”

“I think so.” She finally chuckled, “Eventually.”

“Good. You had me worried.”

“It was a night of surprises.”

That it was. Good ones. While he was glad to hear Emma liked her new dress, he didn’t want to talk any more about her wedding, Abby going into labor, or anyone else in this town that didn’t start with Rachel and end with him telling her he loved her. He squeezed his phone still in his hand. It was time to tell the woman seated next to him how he felt. That he was madly in love with her. It would always be her.

But first he needed to apologize. “Rachel,” he started. “I’m s—”

“I’m sorry, Will,” she blurted out before he could finish his sentence. “I don’t know what came over me yesterday. I never should have reacted like I did. I shouldn’t have walked out like that.”

“No. It was all my fault for creating a situation that could be easily misread.” He touched her knee, her soft skin sending electricity straight up his arm. “Nothing’s going on with Amber. Not after you spent the night at my place. I wouldn’t do that to you, Rach. I want us to be a couple.”

There. He said it.

The truth.

It wasn’t an “I love you,” but he’d work up to that. “I want to be with you.”

She frowned. “I know.”

I know. His chest tightened. That’s her response? He thought his declaration would go a bit different. At least, he’d like a little less frowning. “Do you not want to get together?” He held his breath for her answer.

“I do. I don’t know.” She rubbed her arms. “It’s complicated. I need more time.”

It’s complicated?Anger reared from inside him.He slid his phone into his pants pocket, looking away. How hard was it for her to admit she had feelings for him?

Unless she didn’t. He shook his head. How could he have been so stupid? The other night wasn’t about them connecting. It was just physical.

Goddamn it. When was he going to learn? Every muscle in his body tensed.

He felt Rachel’s hand rest on his arm. “Will, I just need some time.”

He shifted on the bench. “What do you need? A week? A month?”

She stared at him for a beat before saying, “I don’t know.”

Stunned, he focused straight ahead. When was he ever going to learn? Rachel didn’t feel the same way, and this was her way of calling it off between them for the second time.

He cracked his knuckles. If they were going to end yet again, he wasn’t going away quietly. He was calling her out on her crap. “It’s not that complicated.”

“It’s not?” she asked, lifting her chin.

“No. Just admit it.” He pressed his back into the bench. “This thing between us is just physical for you. Always has been. You love being in my bed, but when you wake up in the morning, you can’t handle the fact that I’m an auto mechanic and not Main Street royalty.”

She stood and faced him, folding her arms. “Is that what you think?”

He didn’t really know, but what else could it be? He hopped off the bench, matching her stance for this square off. “Admit it. You’re ashamed to be with me. Hell, that’s why we snuck around last winter. It wasn’t because you didn’t want anyone to know that we were having a casual hookup, you didn’t want anyone to know you were having it with me.”

Pissed off or not, Rachel’s expression gave nothing away. “You done?”

No. There was so much more he wanted to say, but what was the point? He looked away, his gaze moving across the park back on the beat-up old car. “I can’t believe it’s still running. The inside was just as bad as the outside.”

“You’ve been in that car?”

He snapped his head back. Why did she care?

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