Page 73 of The Confidentiality Clause
I cringe. “I slept there. Not in the sleptwithhim way, but in the I fell asleepnextto him way.”
“Wrapping my head around this is going to take some time.” I hear rustling in the background and the slamming of a car door. “I would have never put you two together.”
“Me either,” I admit. “We aren’ttogetherthough.”
Her car starts in the background. “Does he have feelings for you?”
I think of the moment in his study last week. And the way he smiled at me the morning before he found out about Vincent.
“I think so, but I don’t know if that means anything. He hasn’t talked to me this entire week. If he cared about me at all, wouldn’t he have at least texted?”
“If this were about a guy other than Brock, I’d say yes. He’s been so weird lately, which I’m sure you know more about than me, but Shaw showed me some of his texts, and I get the feeling there’s something deeper going on.”
“I think so too. He refuses to open up all the way though. All he’s told me is he wants to help athletes and build this successful legacy. Whenever I push him even a little, he blows up or creates distance.”
“Sounds like he needs to see a therapist.”
“That’s what I said!”
We both laugh, and the familiar sound brings relief.
“So in spite of all of this, youlikehim?” The disbelief in her tone is evident.
“Unfortunately, yes.”
“You sound like me when I realized I liked Shaw.”
“I think I understand how you felt back then,” I say with a smile. “Though I don’t know if I’ll get the same happy ending.”
“Can you give him time to work on himself? Or has he ruined everything? I won’t blame you if you don’t want to wait.”
I sigh. “It’s not really about the waiting. I want to walk with him through all of this, but he has to want it, you know?”
“When I come whack some sense into him, he’ll want it.”
I laugh. “I’ve tried that, and still ended up here. The worst part is, he’s supposed to be my date tomorrow to the gala. I don’t know if he’s going to show. He hasn’t answered my text asking when he’s coming home.”
“On second thought, I can get a flight to LA and smack him for you.”
“You’re very stabby today.”
“It’s that time of the month.”
I nod in understanding. “Got it. Well, you’ll have to direct your violent tendencies elsewhere. I don’t want him to show up because he’s threatened.”
“You want him to show up because he cares,” she finishes softly.
“Exactly,” I say. “If he comes, I’ll know that he’s capable of prioritizing something other than his job.”
“And if he doesn’t? Is that it?”
My gut twists at the thought. “I…don’t know.”
“I wouldn’t blame you if it was. I love Brock, but he’s been an idiot lately.”
“We’ll see. Maybe he shows up.”
“I hope he does.”
