Page 42 of Kiss Me Like You Mean It (Oak Valley)

He didn’t need to answer Archer for them to put the pieces together.

“But you love her,” Colton said.

“And she deserves better.”

Archer laughed. “Man, she has seen you upside down and sideways. If she still wants to be around your sorry ass, who are you to say otherwise? Especially if you want to be a man she deserves.”

“Part of relationships are learning to work on yourself while working on the partnership, elevating yourself and your partner,” Colton said. “Ruby taught me that, and it’s saved me. It’s saved us.”

Dragan guzzled his drink, the amber liquid burning his throat on the way down. He squinted his eyes, wanting it to overtake him. But it disappeared, leaving a slow warmth spread through his body. Archer’s phone rang, and he excused himself while Colton kept going.

“Is she worth having? Is what you have worth saving?”

Dragan stood, bringing the bottle with him and refilling their drinks.

“Of course she is, Colton.”

“So there really isn’t anything more to say, is there? You just have to learn how to believe that everything you’re doing to better yourself is deserving of any love — not just June’s.” He shrugged and took a drink.

Dragan barked out a laugh. “When the fuck did you become Buddha over here?”

Colton’s face lightened, a smile playing at his lips. “Love, man. When you open yourself to it, everything falls into place.”

“If you don’t get fucked, that is,” Archer added, coming back. He stayed standing, hands on his hips. He looked at Colton, and then at Dragan. “So, uh… Wow. Um, that was Roger Donahue, the man you snapped at at the pitch meeting. He apparently has some friends at a very powerful company who want to buy us out.”

Dragan set his drink down on the coffee table and leaned forward. “Wait, what?”

Archer paced the room, running his hand through his short blond hair, laughing to himself.

“Archer, tell us more.” Colton also set his drink down, and sat forward.

When Archer turned to them, Dragan could have sworn there were tears in his eyes. “It’s wild, man. They — They’re saying upwards of $500 mil.”

Blood rushed through Dragan’s head. “Five — Five hundred million dollars? For an app that’s not published?”

Colton looked between them with his mouth open. “How is that even possible?”

“Upwards of $500 mil,” Archer laughed. “How the fuck do I know? He said the potential of the app would far outweigh the starting costs. He said he’d email us the contacts, and that we could potentially have a contract by end of next week.”

Dragan looked between his friends, grateful they were there.

But there was one person missing, and the only person he needed.

31

June was curled in the overstuffed armchair in the living room, curled under a blanket whileI Love Lucyplayed on the TV. Her grandparents sat on the couch, awake later than normal, not cuddling but holding hands.

Normally their love made her feel warm and hopeful, but tonight it almost made her sick.

Rhys had dropped her off after their date last night, and he gave her a really, really nice kiss. And then he said he couldn’t wait to see her again and watched until she made it inside safely.

It was nice.

Not completely panty-melting, but June was sure they could get there. He’d really listened to her on their first date, and showed her as much by way of the second date. It was an ingenious idea. It was the relief she’d been craving, and he even held her while she got snot all over his sweater. The date exhausted her, physically and emotionally, and she spent all day at home on the couch or in bed, watching movies.

It was a great date with a great guy.

The nagging in her stomach still wouldn’t dissipate.

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