Page 60 of Finding Their Place

Fuck.

I clenched my jaw, fighting off the erection the cool fridge and water had helped me deal with.

“Are you living in denial or what?” he asked when he finished.

Still, I kept silent.

“If Haley initiated more than comfort, you would be hard as fuck. Aching. Leaking. Salivating for a taste of her.”

My dick loved the images he painted in my head, and the tightening in my groin continued.

“Yeah, that’s what I figured. You need to be honest with her.”

A snort huffed from my nostrils. “If you’ve learned anything about my Hal, you know how she despises liars.”

Wyatt’s gaze narrowed. “You think she’ll be pissed, that her anger will wreck the bond between you?”

“She’ll hate me.”

“Haley could never hate you, Garrett. She’s madly in love with you.” He recapped his empty bottle.

A barked laugh escaped me. “Yeah, okay.”

“I’m serious. Not telling her the truth could be one of the biggest mistakes of your life.”

Mistake.

Fuck, I hated that word. Hearing it on Wyatt’s lips hit me like a kick to the gut.

I eyed him, wondering what the fuck he was up to. Did he really believe she loved me beyond platonic, that being honest with how I felt wouldn’t rip us apart? If Hal ever would forgive me—which I doubted fully—why the fuck would he want that? He had to realize she would be my Hal afterward.

But she wouldn’t.

People who lied and manipulated her to get what they wanted ended up in the shit bin where her own damn mother sat. Sharing the truth of my desire for Haley would be a mistake I couldn’t bear the consequences of.

So many fucking regrets rattled in my brain, knowing I could never cradle her in my arms in the way I truly wanted. The weight in my chest pulled my mind toward emptiness and depression, but I clung to how I could have her in my life. I needed my Hal in whatever capacity available.

Thank fuck Wyatt had walked back into the living room when I’d been ready to spill my guts to her.

“What are you playing at?” I asked, crossing my arms and leaning against the counter at my back.

He tossed his water bottle toward the trash and scored.

Of course he did.

His blue eyes returned to mine, piercing and intense. “I want to see her happy. If it’s me…you…”

Both of us.

Did my mind fill in the gap or was that what I read in his eyes?

“Fuck.” I scrubbed a hand down over my face, my dick thickening fully.

“Think about it.” Wyatt strode past me toward the door, and I wanted to ask what he’d meant—what he hoped I would consider. “Oh…” He turned, grabbing his keys and cell from the kitchen table. “I was serious about that job offer.”

Swiping the screen to life, he once more met my stare. “Phone number?”

I mumbled what he’d asked for even though I wasn’t sure about working for him.

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