Page 25 of Win My Heart

I shake my head, not wanting to get into why I can’t make Bernadette Ross mine. But I also know Billie can be relentless. So, on a sigh, I tell her about why I friend-zoned Bernadette years ago.

“Dex asked me not to.” I don’t elaborate.

“Really? Why would he do that?”

“It was right after their first tournament. The team had made a pact that she was off limits. Because I had just moved back into the city and was seeing Dex more, Dex asked me to honor that pact. I’m guessing he saw my interest in her.”

Billie scoffs. “Ew.”

“Oh, cut it out. I get what you’re saying, but think about it. A bunch of young twenty-somethings making a huge splash in their industry—which they worked hard for. They didn’t want to risk fucking up the team. That meant that no one was allowed to mess around with her.” I shrug my shoulders. I’ve had a while to think about it. I get why they did it. Was it fair to Bernadette? Nope. But I get it.

“Hmm. Well, I hate that for her, but also, it was probably smart for them to agree not to try anything untoward with her.”

I roll my eyes at her use of words. She’s quiet for a few minutes, and then we arrive at my apartment building. I park in the private parking garage as one of the night guards pulls out a push cart for us to unload the gifts. We ride up the elevator to the top floor in silence, even though I can tell Billie’s wheels are turning.

We let ourselves into the small penthouse suite that has been Morgan and Dex’s new home for a couple months now to unload the boxes. I want to leave it at that, but Billie takes a few minutes to arrange the gifts on and around the coffee table in the middle of the living room.

When we’re done, we head back to the lobby.

“You sure you don’t want to head to the after-party with me?” I ask her.

“No way. It’s past ten, my friend. I’m getting old, and it’s past my bedtime.” She’s one hundred percent serious.

“You’re twenty-eight, Bill.” I nudge her with my shoulder.

“Nearly thirty. Plus, I perused the selection of single men tonight, and I’m not going to meet my future husband at the after-party.” She nods to the doorman standing at the front desk, and he walks out the door and hails a cab for her.

I walk with her to the curb, getting ready to thank her again for coming with me today. But she turns to me and grips my shoulder.

“Wade, you know I love you, right?”

Confused, I reply, “Yeah.”

“Then know that I say this because I care. But screw that pact your brother and his friends made. It’s reached its expiration date. If you want to date Bernadette, then date Bernadette.” Her eyes search mine; her tone is warm but concerned.

“It’s not that simple, Billie.” I stuff my hands into my pockets.

She cocks her head. “Why not?”

I shrug. “We’ve been friends and only friends for a while now. And I made a promise to my brother.”

She narrows her eyes. “Agree to disagree, buddy. I say go for it and ask for forgiveness later.”

Her taxi pulls up to the curb, and I lean in and kiss her cheek. “Text me when you get home,” I tell her, and she shakes her head but agrees that she will.

Sending her home, I opt to get my own cab. I don’t plan on staying at the party long, but there’s a keg, so I don’t want to be stuck with an overnight parking tab.

On the drive back to the hotel, Billie’s words are stuck in my head. The team is solid. They aren’t going to just break up at this point. The guys are confident in the fact that if Matt were to date Bernadette, and it didn’t go well, it wouldn’t break up the team. So why should she still be off limits to me?

I scratch my jaw, watching the busy nighttime crowd outside the bars, clubs, and restaurants.

Bernadette was absolutely stunning tonight and seeing her with Matt majorly pissed me off. I wasn’t expecting that. I’m not a jealous guy, but I wanted to sock him in the mouth every time he put his hands on her. He’s too young for her. He’s too immature and I can’t stand the thought of him getting a chance with her when I was told I couldn’t all those years ago.

A niggling in my chest urges me to defy the promise I made to Dex, but my logical self is telling me to honor it.

Fuck.

By the time I head upstairs to the penthouse suite, the party is in full swing. There’s no way the hotel staff doesn’t know what’s going on here. My roommates, Ben, and thankfully, Matt are all standing around the bar top in the kitchen, shoving snacks into their mouths and messing with a small but mighty-looking speaker system. Looking around, I see a few friends of the team and even a couple of my cousins in groups spread out around the massive, open space. That’s when Link catches my attention and calls me over.

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