Page 111 of Betting on the Bad Boy

Wyatt pushed the door open and walked around the desk while I poured an inch of the dark amber liquid into the cup.

“You want to tell me what’s going on here?” Wyatt asked.

“Care to join me for a shot of this fine beverage?”

Wyatt sat down and propped his elbows on the desk. “When are you going to get your head out of your ass?”

“I guess that’s a no. Bottom’s up.” I chugged the Jack and poured another.

“Still haven’t talked to her?”

“Who, Faith? We’re toast. As in stick-a-fucking-fork-in-it, over with a capital ‘O.’”

“I think you’re blowing this out of proportion.”

“Oh yeah? Lindsey ever publish a detailed account of every time you buried yourself balls-deep inside her?”

Wyatt reached for the bottle and the cup. “Give me some of that.”

“See? Just the thought is driving you to drink.”

“She did apologize.”

I slammed another shot. “She left me a few messages. Hardly an earth-shattering apology.” I reached for the bottle again, but Wyatt grabbed it first.

“Why don’t you slow down on the shots? Look, I know what happened to you back in high school. I was there, remember? But Faith didn’t cheat on you. She made a mistake.”

“Oh yeah? Well, some mistakes are too big to forgive.” I jerked the bottle from Wyatt’s hand and poured another inch into the cup.

“You think you’re the only one who’s ever been blindsided? Hell, Lindsey and I had some issues early on,” Wyatt said.

“Coulda fooled me. The two of you... you’re like syrup and pancakes... sticky, sweet, and completely smothering.”

Wyatt slapped his hand down on the desk, and I jumped in my seat. “I screwed up. Lied to her about something so stupid. I almost lost her.” He moved around to lean up against the desk, leveling his gaze at me. “If she hadn’t forgiven me... I don’t know where I would have ended up.”

Leave it to Wyatt. He hadn’t been such a softie back in Hinkley. But there was a tiny bit of truth to his words. Faith hadn’t cheated. She’d just failed to tell the complete truth. Had I been too quick to bail on her?

“I don’t know, Wyatt. I’m pretty sure I’m not the forgive-and-forget type.”

“Then find a way. I know you. This woman really got to you. I’m not saying she’s the one, but there’s a strong possibility. You don’t want to spend the rest of your life wallowing in shit when you could have done something about it.” He grabbed the bottle and headed back out to the bar.

I steepled my fingers and pressed them to my forehead. I was driving myself crazy. I’d have to talk to her. I promised myself the next time she called, I wouldn’t automatically send it to voicemail.

Maybe she’d actually say something worth hearing.

CHAPTER 54

Faith

Thunderstorms blewacross the upper Midwest, causing multiple cancellations and flight delays. I checked my phone one last time. The flight to Chicago showed a thirty-minute delay. Oh well. Jess and I were already on the way to the airport. I’d just settle somewhere in the gate area and try to get some writing done.

“So you still haven’t heard from him at all?” Jess asked.

“Not a word,” I said.

“Have you tried to call him?”

“I’ve left messages, but he hasn’t called back. I’m going to give him some space.”