Page 117 of Mr. Flirt

Mike leaned forward and took a deep breath. “The thing that has absolutely killed Shep out of all of this was losing you and you losing your ability to love and trust again. He doesn’t just feel like he killed the relationship you two had. He bears responsibility for your inability to trust again. He talks nonstop about what a horrible person he is.”

I stared at these two men and didn’t say a word.

Loose lips sink ships.

“He knows he’ll never find a love like you again. He’s told us as much, but what kills him even more is to think that he hurt you so badly that you won’t be able to open up again.”

“Jury is out on that. But you can let him know that I’ll be just fine.” I smiled curtly as the words sharpened in my soul, bleeding me out, making me weaker.

Because he was right.

I’d lost my ability to trust again.

The walls went up so fast, and this time, they were stronger and impenetrable.

“Shep is destroyed,” Mike said softly. “I’ve never seen him like this, and it’s all our fault. We’ll have to live with it and deal with it.”

“True.” Brendan nodded in agreement. “But I wish you would believe that you weren’t a bet to him, Lucy. You were his match. He knows it, and he realizes he’ll never have that connection with someone like you again. He will never forgive us if he thinks you don’t have the ability to love again.”

I thought back to that moment when Shep said he couldn’t bear to teach me how to flirt and attract another man. He wanted to be my only one.

An unexpected smile touched my lips, but I pushed it off my lips immediately.

“Shep is a great person. He will find an amazing woman who is more fitted to his personality and lifestyle. It wasn’t merely the bet that made me see things clearly.” My heart pounded so hard I swore I could feel it between my ears.

“Fine. We get it.” Brendan nodded. “He doesn’t have a chance with you. But our friendship with Shep is everything to us. We already screwed up his chances with the one and only person he’s ever fallen in love with. He barely speaks to us.”

“And that’s my problem how?” I asked curtly.

“This is a completely selfish request,” Mike began. “But maybe he could start to forgive himself if he could see that you could be happy again.”

His words shocked me into reality. “What are you even asking?”

Mike cleared his throat. “There’s a guy back at the bar who I guess you bumped into one time when you were with Shep.”

I shook my head, not remembering.

“He heard about you and Shep breaking up and gave me his number to give to you.”

Fire lit my ass right off the chair. “You’re trying to hook me up with someone else so your best friend will talk to you again?”

Brendan hopped over the back of his chair while Mike stood up.

He put the number on the desk and stared at me. “My guess is you still have feelings over Shep or you wouldn’t be willing to murder us in your own law firm. So, my proposition is simple. Set him free by letting him see that you can move on. Save our friendships.” He glanced at Brendan. “And go on being the person you truly want to be.”

Even though the rage dove deep when I thought about what had been done to me, I couldn’t bear to think that Shep hurt too. It wasn’t his fault that I chose this profession or that I chose to put my walls back up. He was merely a reminder that all good things must come to an end.

But it wasn’t fair to him. He deserved a woman who could make him happy without complication, and if all it took was him seeing me out with another guy to prove that I wasn’t broken, I could manage that.

I looked up at Brendan and Mike.

“Fine. Consider your friendship saved.” I stared at the two men in front of me and let out a deep breath. “Tell me when and where. I’m not reaching out to that guy. You do the hard work.”

Mike smiled and swooped the number back into his pocket. “Deal.”

I nodded and watched them both nearly skip out of my office, and I realized I’d somehow just made a deal with the devils themselves.

Chapter Thirty-Five

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