Page 53 of Sassy Love
A sniffle rattles her body. “Go away, Rawlins.”
“Lawson, remember?”
She groans. “Go away,Lawson.”
“I would love to. I have so many better things to do right now, but Manuel is riding my ass over this big-time.”
Her head snaps up. Her brown eyes, tight with hurt, meet mine. “You’re lying.”
“Nope.” I shove my hands in the back pockets of my Levi’s.
I’m totally lying.
She pushes to her feet, wiping her face dry before closing the space between us. “Manuel’s never so much as spoken a harsh word since the moment we arrived. What’s your MO?”
Why is this woman always on defense?
Her trust in people, in the world around her, must be nonexistent.
“You know, life doesn’t always have to be a battle, Carlie.”
She jerks back, her face twisting. “Says you, the straight white male from the perfect family. The boys’ club practically ensures your success, no matter where you work or how shitty you are at your job.”
I tilt my head up, brows lowering. “You really think that?”
“I don’t think that—Iknowthat. It took me ten years to earn the corner office. Guess how long it took the guy who started with me to do the same?”
“Eight?” I hedge a guess.
“Try eighteen months.”
My jaw slackens, shock flattening my features. “Fuck.”
“My sentiments exactly. So excuse me for wanting to fight for myself. For being a little touchy about my fucking worth in this world.”
That’s it. That’s all it takes to crack my heart all over my damn sleeve.
“I’m not your enemy, I promise.”
Tears flood into those pretty browns all over again, the moonlight turning the moisture silver as her chin wobbles.
I fold her into a hug. She resists with a halfhearted wriggle, slapping my chest, but I don’t give an inch. “Please,stop fighting me.”
She stills before softening in my arms. I wrap her closer, dropping my chin to the crown of her head.
When she pushes away a minute later, wiping her face, I tilt my head to catch her gaze. “You want to come back and ask me ridiculous questions about myself and make me squirm?”
She huffs a strained laugh, but it peters out. “Couldn’t think of a better way to cheer myself up.”
I grin at her, and she snaps her head to the side.
“Come on, before Manuel sends out the search party.”
She pushes her shoulders back with a long, deep inhale and walks toward the communal area. I follow behind, but my mind is stuck on everything I know about her life.
Her single-parent status, her battle to have the career she wants, watching every other person be promoted over her because they’re male. The fact we are now in a very similar situation, where one of us stays and the other loses their job.
No wonder she attacks the world with wit and sass. It’s most likely a learned behavior from every unjustified setback she’s had that she shouldn’t have.
