Page 37 of The Fangirl and the Grump

“My face is perfect, brat,” he says, then shoots Willow a wink.

“But…you’resmiling,” Willow says, her voice filled with awe. “I never knew your teeth were so straight. Wait. Holy shit. Is that a dimple?”

I study Trace’s cheeks, but his thick beard hides any evidence of whether he has dimples or not. I look back at Willow, who definitely has a mischievous sparkle in her eyes, and it hits me.

She’s teasing him for smiling because he doesn’t do it a lot.

He’s leaning into it instead of getting huffy.

All because I made him grin with my sassy comeback.

He’s happy to see me, and I’mhappyhe’s happy to see me.

Oh, God.

“I’ll be right back,” I blurt as I spin on a heel and stalk toward the bathroom in the back.

Locking myself inside, I brace my hands on the sink and stare at myself in the mirror.

“He likes you,” I whisper to my reflection. “Willow was right. Trace Bardin actually likes you.”

What am I going to do about it? Do I go with the flow and see where things lead? Or do I make it clear to him we can’t be anything more than friends?

What do I evenwant?

I’m so confused.

On one hand, Trace is extremely attractive, even when he’s being grumpy. Maybeespeciallywhen he’s being grumpy. Having him smile at me and make jokes just adds another layer to his complex personality. He’s proven to be considerate and kind. He’s responsible, successful, and protective. All good traits.

On the other hand, I’m a hot mess. Fresh off a breakup and basically homeless. Not to mention, I don’t live here, so if we did progress past friendship, it would be nothing more than a fling. He realizes that, right?

Shit, maybe a short-term, torrid affair is exactly what I need to get back on the horse after Carter sent my self-esteem plummeting straight to hell. Maybe having a fine-ass man like Trace worship my body would be the balm that heals me.

“Maybe I’m rationalizing because I really need somevitamin D,” I murmur.

Shaking my head, I turn on the cold water and splash some on my face. I could be making a mountain out of a mole hill, here. Maybe Trace is just in a good mood this morning, and it has nothing to do with me. Or maybe it does, but his feelings are strictly platonic in nature.

That would make more sense, right? That he just wants to be friends? I mean,lookat him.

He could pretty much have any woman he wants. Why would he be interested in a short, rounded hot mess like me?

ChapterSixteen

Trace

“Was it something I did?” I ask Willow as we watch Keegan disappear into the back with a frown.

Willow groans and closes her eyes. “I think that might’ve been my fault.”

“Why do you say that?” I ask, turning a narrowed gaze on her.

“She told me what you did for her yesterday, and I may have tried to convince her it means something more. That you’d never done anything like that for anyone.” She pauses and cocks her head. “You really took her on a tour of the house?”

“It’s no big deal,” I say roughly despite the burning in my cheeks.

“If you say so, brother,” she quips with her signature eye roll, then pins me with a serious stare. “Just so you know, I wholeheartedly approve. She’s obviously good for you, and I think you could be good for her, too.”

My first instinct is to make some snide comment about not needing my baby sister’s approval, but I bite it back. If I’m being honest with myself, I actually like that she approves of Keegan. I’ve gone over the reasons why we wouldn’t work several times, but I’ve also already admitted to myself I want her despite all that. Having Willow give her stamp of approval only reinforces that I’m making the right decision here.

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