Page 105 of 1 Last Shot

Sad that I thought forone secondthat I could make Isabella happy.

"Kane," Hailey says quietly. Her voice sounds distant. "Kane," she says again, this time tugging on my hand to get my attention. I turn my head to look at her.

The sympathy is long gone. In its place, I see… determination.

"Kane, you deserve to have someone care about you," she says firmly. "Youdeserveto be loved. Do you hear me? Isabella isn't settling for you. She's beenchoosingyou. Every day. Because you'reworthyof being chosen."

My mouth parts, but the words are stuck in my throat. Not that I know what I would say if I could get them out, because Hailey's words…

They hit me like a fucking brick.

They wrap around me like vines, and squeeze until I can't breathe. I can’t hide from them behind my emotionally stunted wall anymore—they’re too present, tooeverywhere, to fight any longer.

And that terrifies me. Because hearing Hailey's words, and feeling this… thishope,is enough to cripple me. But I can't ignore it anymore. The words are out there, born on Hailey's compassion, and I can't hide how much I've been dying for them to be true.

How much I want to be worthy of Isabella.

"I have to go talk to her," I croak. "I have to see—I have to know if she—” I swallow the end of that sentence, still too scared to say it out loud.

But just making the effort seems to be enough, because I'm suddenly filled with a bolt of motivation—of purpose.

"I have to go," I say more firmly.

I glance at my phone to check the time. Isabella is teaching yoga right now, but that's okay, because I definitely need to shower and clean myself up before I talk to her.

The desperation to see her starts to build inside me. But before I glance around for a taxi, I look Hailey and Jax directly in the eye.

"Thank you," I tell them. "For bailing me out, but also for… everything else."

The words aren't nearly as hard to get out as I thought they would be. And they feel even better when a huge smile splits Hailey's face, right before she slips her arms around my waist and squeezes.

I'm too shocked to do anything but let it happen. And then it's over before I can decide if I want to hug her back, Hailey's smile not dimming a single watt as she steps back. I glance at Jax in confusion, but he just looks amused.

The fist around my heart loosens a little more. I think a grin even tugs at my lips, though I'm not confident enough to let it shine through. But Jax sees it anyway, and grins back.

The knowledge that I can share a smile with a friend—one that's not mocking, or fake, or sarcastic—soothes something in me. Something that's been broken for a very long time, but that finally feels like it might be healing.

Slowly, uncertainly, I stretch a hand out toward Jax.

I don't say anything. Neither does he. But I watch as his expression sobers, and as he reaches forward to grip my hand in a firm shake.

My body sags in relief.

The contact only lasts for a moment before we're both pulling back, as if one handshake didn't just single-handedly start to heal how I think of friendships. But there's another relationship that’s starting to press in on me again, and I'm eager to get moving.

"I have to go," I say hurriedly. "You two good getting home? Can I pay for your ride home?"

Jax waves me off. "Go. I'm taking Hailey to the café, anyway. I'll see you at the gym tomorrow?"

I nod. "I'll be there." A pause, then I add, "Hopefully with less anger."

Jax barks out a laugh at that, clapping a hand on my shoulder. "Dear God, please let there be less anger. I could use you as a training partner. I'm tired of playing pattycake with Tristan."

And this time, I'm the one laughing.

33

KANE

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