Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 91065 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 455(@200wpm)___ 364(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91065 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 455(@200wpm)___ 364(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
“Was that a compliment?” ’Cause he’s not wrong about that; I’m not actually this cunning. “Trent may have mentioned fake dating her when we had our call last week.”
The words taste like chalk in my mouth, and my friend’s sigh is loud enough to hear all the way from here to Green Bay.
“Not to be rude, sometimes it’s not always in your best interest for you to take his advice. It’s just his opinion. Do you get what I’m saying?”
The whole situation is now completely fucked, and it’s my own damn fault.
Margot and I were having so much fucking fun, and I went and ruined it by asking her if she wanted to actually date me, even though I don’t actually want to date her. But since meeting her, all the fun has been taken out of swiping on dating apps—this connection that we have may not be . . . sexual, but it feels . . .
Stable.
Special.
Now there’s a word guys don’t think about when they’re imagining boning a chick.
Have I been imagining boning her?
Yes. Yes, I have. And the more I get to know her, the more attracted to her I become.
Shit, fuck, shit.
“What are your options?” Landon asks me. “How are we going to get you out of this mess? You can’t take the words back.”
We.
I love that he phrases it like that; I don’t feel so alone.
I pick at the homemade pasta Carrie left me, kind of wishing she were around—although she would go batshit on my ass if she knew about the shitstorm I created.
“Why are you saying it like that?” I furrow my brow. “When you started dating Harlow, you lied to her too. You didn’t tell her who you actually were. You let her think you were some dude who hung out with his parents on the weekends and was going through job interviews.”
“This isn’t about me—this is about you.” My best friend points at me through the small screen of his phone. “Harlow will be the first person to tell you it freaked her out when she found out who I was.” I hear him open a door and close it. “I don’t know, man. You may have fucked this up beyond repair.”
“How?”
“’Cause. You either have to tell her what you just told me—about Trent telling you it would be good publicity to date her—or cut her off completely and never see her again.” He tosses a ball for the dog. “Those are your options.”
“I don’t like those options.”
He sighs. “Then you should have thought this through before letting your dick lead the way.”
“I didn’t let my dick lead the way. She hasn’t even seen my dick.”
Another sigh from Landon. “You know what I mean. You don’t blurt shit out to someone on a whim, not single moms. You don’t mess with them unless you mean it.”
“Funny, that’s what she said.”
Landon’s expression softens slightly, but his eyes remain stern. “It’s not funny, Dex. She’s not just some girl you walk away from. She has a kid. She has responsibilities. If you hurt her, you hurt her kid too.”
Damn. Since when is he the voice of reason?
Since you decided to tell him your problems, that’s when.
I glance down at the pasta. “I genuinely like her. And Wyatt—that’s her daughter’s name. She’s seriously something else.”
I didn’t expect to feel this way. Or this guilty.
“Feelings aren’t enough. You have to be honest with her. She deserves that.”
I run a hand through my hair, frustration bubbling up. “But if I tell her the truth, she might never forgive me. And if I cut her off, I’m just another guy who let her down.”
Landon nods, understanding the dilemma. “That’s the risk you take when you get involved with someone who has more to lose than you do. You need to decide if you’re willing to put in the effort to make it right.”
I think about the moments I’ve shared with Margot and Wyatt. The laughter, the late-night talks, the way Wyatt’s face lights up when I see her. I know I can’t just walk away.
“I want to make it right,” I say quietly. “But I don’t know how.”
“Start by telling her the truth. It’s going to hurt, but she deserves to know. Then, show her that you’re serious about being there for both of them. Actions speak louder than words.”
I nod, a sense of determination settling in my chest. “You’re right. I owe her the truth.”
Maybe.
Maybe not.
Not now, at least . . .
No fucking way am I ready to let her go.
Chapter 18
Margot
I, Margot Mahoney, am dating a professional football player.
“I am dating someone.”
Wow.
Sounds so weird to say.
Granted, we haven’t been on any dates yet since Dex made his little pronouncement, but we’ve been texting a lot. Although last night, he invited me along with him for a signing event. I didn’t have plans today, so I agreed.