Page 32 of Until You're Mine
I nodded, telling myself it was a good thing, even as my gut sank. “Exactly.”
“But I’ve also noticed my concentration is the shittiest when we go the avoiding and ignoring route—it just takes so much fucking effort.”
“And both of us are failing anyway,” I added.
“Right. So how about we stop doing that, and try this friends-ish thing you mentioned.” He made a sour face like he couldn’t believe those words had actually come from his lips—lips that I totally wasn’t staring at, for the record. “And we’ll take the rest a day at a time. Sound good?”
I didn’t know if it sounded quite as firm as what I’d been trying to convey, but I figured if we waited for us to both completely agree on everything we’d be here all night. “I say game on.”
“Good. Now that that’s settled…” He stood and extended a hand, and I slapped my palm in his and let him pull me to my feet. Once I’d double-checked the front door was locked and turned off all the lights, we pushed out the back exit.
I hesitated by Shane’s motorcycle, not wanting our time together to end, even as I knew that was all the more reason to get in my car and drive away.
“Give me your phone,” he said.
“As a friend, I’m telling you that you need to work on words like ‘please’ and ‘thank you.’ I can even teach you how toaska question instead of barking orders. It’s pretty amazing once you get the hang of it.”
“Brooklyn, will you please give me your damn phone? I want you to have my number in case you need me.”
“You’re almost always at the gym, and so am I.” My heart beat faster, which was ridiculous. What did him having my number change?
The fingers on his extended hand gestured for my phone.
“Fine.” I opened up my contacts and placed my cell in his palm, sure I was going to regret it. Or more like I was sure that he’d call and I’d like it too much, which would lead to guilt andthenregret.
“I’m taking the liberty of texting myself, just in case you’re too stubborn to call me first.” He finished typing and handed my phone back to me, the text sent to his number still onscreen.
Me:Hey, sexy beast. Here’s my number. Xoxo
I shook my head. “Sometimes I worry your humility is going to be your downfall.”
Shane guided me over to my car with a firm hand on my back. “Also, you and I are going to squeeze in a workout together tomorrow night. I know you want to, so don’t try to deny it.”
He had me there. It was semi-torturous watching everyone punching and kicking while I typed away on my computer, filling in numbers and data that made me cross-eyed and tired enough to fall asleep at my desk. But I wasn’t going to admit that, so I sighed like he was exhausting.
He, in turn, grinned like he had an inside track to my thoughts. The stress that’d weighed me down for the past few days lifted, the world tilting back on its proper axis. He opened my car door and, once I was seated, looked down at me, the streetlight sending stripes of light across his features. “See you tomorrow, bruiser.”
“See you tomorrow.” I flashed him a smile, pried my car door out of his hands, and pulled it closed. Man, it was good to be friends-ish again.
Chapter Eighteen
Brooklyn
I knocked on Dad’s open office door and stepped inside. He and Liam were talking about an upcoming fight and which spots to fill.Good. Liam’s already here.
I hoped he’d be on my side, but maybe that was overly optimistic. “I need to talk to you guys about the budget and some ideas I have to fix it.”
Dad waved me inside, and I swung the door closed because I had a feeling this conversation would end up getting loud and confrontational, no matter what figures I presented.
“Is Finn around?” I asked. Even if he didn’t take my side, he’d make faces and keep things light and do his whole arbitrator thing.
“He already left for the day,” Liam said.
Well, no use putting it off any longer. “Okay, so give me a chance to make my point before you freak out.”
Liam pointed at himself. “Me or Dad?”
“Yes. But mostly…” I forced myself to meet Dad’s eyes. Things had been icy between us ever since our dinner and my subsequent refusal to pimp myself out to my ex. “You want me here to take care of admin and accounting stuff and to keep the gym running as efficiently and profitably as possible, right?”
