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“No, she can’t.” I sighed. “She’s looking for a long-term, serious relationship. She’s looking for an end game. And that’s not me.”

“But it could be you,” Alex cut in, flipping her long hair over her shoulder. “She’s special enough to have left you off-balance; who’s to say she won’t be the love you’re looking for?”

“I say,” I snapped. “I don’t want any part of that bullshit. I don’t have time for it. With the company expanding and all the traveling I do, I can’t maintain it.”

“There’s a big difference between not being able to maintain it, and choosing not to,” Reid countered, her words careful, measured.

“God, can we all just accept that I’m happy with my casual dating life and move on?” I said, forcing a laugh to hide the discomfort threatening to drown me. “I still have a full day of work ahead of me, I don’t have the emotional capacity for a full-scale friend-tervention.”

“Are you happy?”

I blinked at Cameron’s question, my brows pulling together.

“What?”

“Are you happy, Hayden?” she asked again. “We only ask because we love you. And you should know that you’re allowed to be happy, for real.”

“Cam, I hope you know that I am too sober for this.” I groaned, exasperated and endlessly tired. “I just wanted a nice, fun brunch date with my favorite people. I don’t want to have my decisions hauled over the coals.”

“We’re not hauling you or your decisions over the coals,” Cameron stated calmly. Her hand rubbed soothing circles on my back and I wanted to shrink away from the comfort that she offered. “We just want you to be happy.”

“But you know that I’m only interested in casual dating,” I pushed. “I’m not looking for love, or companionship or whatever. I’m fine, really.”

“Sweetheart, not every potential love interest is gonna turn out like Nat did.”

The knife in my gut twisted, icy and slow.

And I had nothing to say to that.

Chapter three

A Comedy Written by the Universe

Frankie

“Areyousureyou’reokay to run things alone?”

“Dad, stop worrying about me, okay?” I huffed, speed walking down the sidewalk and dodging the passers-by who didn’t see me. “I’ve run the store plenty of times, I promise it’ll be fine. Just focus on yourselves, please?”

His exhausted sigh pressed at the ache in my chest. He’d been at the hospital since Mom went in, and I knew he’d done very little to take care of himself in that time.

“Have you eaten yet?” I asked, fishing my set of keys out of my purse.

“I’ll eat once the doctor’s done his rounds,” he said gruffly. “I just want an update on your mom’s tests and then I’ll eat.”

“I mean actual food,” I interjected. “Not that crap in the cafeteria. You know what? I’ll come by during lunch visiting hours. Then we can grab something to eat. How’s that sound?”

“Ah, little dove,” he murmured, the smile audible in his words. “You don’t have to worry about your old man. I can take care of myself. But I won’t say no to a visit; I know your mom would like that, too.”

“It’s settled then,” I said, that ache in my chest easing up at the thought of seeing them later. I pushed the door and stepped into the air-conditioned store, letting out a sigh of relief. “I’ll see you a little later.”

“Can’t wait – oh, be nice to the new owner, okay?”

“I’m thenicestperson, Dad,” I scoffed, hearing the warning in his voice. “I promise I’ll play nice.”

“Atta girl,” he said, and hung up.

I tucked my phone back into my pocket and walked to the back of the store.