Page 73 of South of The Skyway

I grimaced, raising a hand to flip my ball cap backwards. “Noel didn’t tell you I was the asshole across the street?”

The tight mess of her lips told me I’d hit the nail on the head. Of course, Noel and I had parted ways only about twelve hours before her accident. I should have assumed, but like an idiot, I didn’t.

“I’m trying really hard not to be mad.”

“Well, that’s good. What would that help?”

“Nothing. But I can’t change what I feel.”

“Which is?”

“There’s always a catch.”

That sounded menacing. I set the paint roller down on the tray, wiping my hands on the work denim her eyes were scanning over. I took a few steps forward, relieved when she didn’t retreat.

Looking for clarification so I didn’t assume she was being entirely illogical, I asked, “Catch?”

“Best sex of your life, but it costs you your dream space. Yeah. That’s about right.”

Well, that felt like shit. “Come on, don’t look at it like that.”

“How am I supposed to look at it, Rhyett? Do you know how long I looked at this building? Do you know how many emails I sent?”

“Can’t it mean something good that her assistant answered my call? Like we were meant to be in each other’s lives? I didn’t know you had your heart set on it when I took it. I swear.”

“I just–”

When she cut herself off, gaze dropping to her feet, I hooked a finger under her chin, pulling her back up to me. “Just, what, Brexley?”

“Why is there always a catch?” She shook her head. “Nevermind, it sounds stupid, even in my head.”

“Your emotions aren’t stupid, Ace. Tell me what you’re thinking.”

She blew a harsh breath through her nose, chewing over her words for a beat before admitting, “Why does everything good in life come with a price? You’re…look, Rhyett, I don’t want to say something I’m going to regret. I know this isn't your fault. I just. Fuck. I had this whole vision of how we’d expand The Cracked Corset. Of where everything would go. Of the events we could host–bigger authors–and bigger signings would mean better press.” Her jaw tightened, and she shook her head. “Better press would mean more exposure. More online orders. More growth.” She huffed, blinking at me when I wouldn’t let her go. “And this place is perfect, and the only spot within walking distance to expand. But, it didn’t seem to matter how many messages I sent. She never answered. I guess…Everything worth having comes with a sacrifice.”

“Is that how you look at this? Atus?” I kept my tone level, hoping she could see how badly I wanted to understand.

“Please don’t get me wrong, if it came down to choosing between you and the building, it would be you. But it pisses me off that the universe can’t just let something go my way without taking something else off the table.” She changed her voice, mimicking a television announcer. “Dream man, or dream business, the clock is ticking, Brexley Snows.”

I chuckled, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “You let the gameshow host pick?”

“Clock ran out of time. Had to select a random door.”

“For what it’s worth, I’m sorry.”

She sucked down a breath, eyes softening, the clench of her jaw easing. “I guess…when it comes down to it,I’m not.”

“Well. That means a lot. I do intend to make it worth your while.”

“For the rest of your life, Rhodes.”

I chuckled, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Thank you for sharing. I know you haven’t always felt comfortable doing that. Was that difficult to get out?”

“A little,” she admitted, swallowing hard.

“Just because you can see the logic, doesn’t mean you should undermine the emotion, baby. It’s okay to feel let down, even when you don’t want to be.”

The stern set of her jaw softened as she tongued a molar, nodding forlornly.

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