Page 40 of My Grumpy Sweetheart
He looked at his feet, his hand snaking to the back of his neck, scratching a spot there. “I… uhm… I came to, well…” He looked up at me, his brows drawn together, face blazing red. “I came to apologize.”
I grew cold.
“Apologize?”
Not a wrong number, after all. Just plain old ghosting.
The hope inside my chest that I’d fought so hard from growing instantly died on its own.
“Yeah.” He cleared his throat, kicking his feet. “For, you know, ignoring your texts. I’m… I’m sorry.”
I blinked at him, cold still spreading through my whole body, making me shiver – unfortunately, this time it wasn’t in a good way.
“Let me get this straight,” I said, blinking up at him while white, hot rage slowly melted the cold inside of me. “You ignored me for a whole week, and now you think it’s fine to just turn up at my place of work, say you’re sorry, and everything’s fine? No explanation, no nothing? JustI’m sorry, and I’m supposed to forget about it until you don’t feel like answering me again?”
“That’s not… I mean, I want to explain, and I even brought you a gift.”
Rolling my eyes, I shook my head. “I don’t care about stupid fucking gifts. I care about honesty. Reliability.”
“But…”
I held up a hand. “No. Parker is right. I deserve better than this. I deserve someone who is being up front with me — especially after I explicitly asked. I deserve someone who cares enough about me not to let me stew in my own self-doubts for a week.”
My gut wrenched. Forcing the words out made tears spring to my eyes. It was the last thing I wanted to say, but I wouldn’t put up with this. I’d seen what Collin had done to Parker. I’d witnessed first-hand what emotional manipulation could do to a person, and I’d never knowingly put myself in a position like that.
Dakota had already shown me that he was capable of shutting me out, and that was fine. I’d gotten the message. But I wouldn’t be pulled back in.
“Bailey…” he started, his voice so rough it was almost a whisper.
“Nope.” I shook my hand, angrily wiping my eyes.
It felt like someone was stabbing me right in the heart as I turned around to leave. I’d really thought we’d hit it off. That there was chemistry, and even feelings between us. I’d really thought he’d felt it, too. And god, I’d hoped he’d have an easy explanation for me. But he didn’t, or he’d have led with it.
“I was fuckingafraid!” I heard his shout around me, his deep, booming voice carrying the sound, drowning out the noises of rush hour.
I whipped my head back around him to see him half-way toward me already, his entire body tense as a spring while the people surrounding him gawked.
“I was afraid,” he repeated, softer this time, which made it incredibly hard to understand him. “I’ve got issues. Trust issues. I tried my best to push you away, but you managed to weasel your way into my heart like no one else ever did before, and when I realized how much I already liked you, I… I freaked. And I’m sorry. You have no idea how sorry I am for ghosting you, but I just didn’t know what to do.”
I let out a weak laugh. “Maybe try communicating next time,” I yelled at him.
His eyes widened. “Next time?” he echoed almost tonelessly.
I had said that, right?
Shrugging, I grabbed his hand to pull him along with the never-ending stream of people. “Yeah. No.” Shrugging again, I looked up into his bright blue eyes shimmering with wetness. “I’m not sure yet. I really, really liked you and I was certain there was something between us, but now…” I sighed, shrugging again. “I’m not sure if I’m ready to forgive you. But I’m also not sure if I’m willing to give up on you just yet.”
“Thank you,” he said, squeezing my hand almost to the point that it hurt. “I know I need to do better.”
Shoving him lightly, I laughed. “Yeah, no kidding. If you ever, ever, ever pull a stunt like that again, you better plan on staying gone. Because if I find you, I’ll end you.”
Now it was Dakota’s turn to snort. “I thought I was the murderer between the two of us.”
“Nah. I decided we’re going to be the cute but crazy murder-couple. What do you say?”
“I say… let me take you on another date?”
My heart fluttered in my chest even though there was still that nagging anger in the back of my head, reminding me that not everything could be forgiven and forgotten within the blink of an eye.
