Page 65 of Denim & Diamonds

February wrapped her arms around herself. “It just seems weird because I’m leaving soon, and all of a sudden she’s calling you. Feels like bad timing.”

“I get it.” I took off my flannel and wrapped it around her, because once again, she had no damn jacket on. “I’m sorry you’ve been overanalyzing her phone call when it truly means nothing.”

She closed the flannel over herself. “It’s okay.”

I rubbed her cheek with the back of my fingers. “If anything, my experience in getting to know you has helped me confirm that I made the right decision in ending things with Nina.”

She sighed. “I might have overreacted because I had that therapy session with my dad earlier today. It was good, but it made me very emotional, and then that phone call came in. It was just a lot at once.”

“Ah.” I nodded in understanding. “That’s right. This was family day. Let’s go sit over here for a minute.”

I led her to the back of my truck, where we sat on the tailgate.

She spent the next several minutes telling me about the experience today with her father.

“Thinking about your dad’s cheating has put you on edge,” I said. “And then you get a phone call from my ex and somehow tie the two together. I’m sorry. I realize how bad that timing is.”

“It’s not your fault.”

“I’ve never cheated on anyone, Feb.”

“Never?”

I shook my head. “Never. Broken more than a few hearts, but never cheated.”

“That’s commendable.”

“Not really. It’s just the right thing to do. There’s no reason to cheat on someone when you can just end things if you’re not happy.”

She arched a brow. “How many broken hearts are we talking here? Maybe I should walk away now so you don’t have a chance to break mine. I don’t want to be the one hundred and seventeenth.”

“Really, woman? Because I’m fairly certain that if anyone is going to end up with a broken heart in this situation, it’s me.” I looked her in the eyes. “Do you have any idea how badly I’ve fallen for you?”

“Badly enough to give up your life here and move to the City?”

Well, shit.That question had crossed my mind multiple times, but I certainly wasn’t expecting her to hit me with it right this second. Not like there was a gray area to the answer, either. It was pretty much yes or no.Shit or get off the pot. The difference between being together or not.

I hesitated, which likely didn’t help my case. But I couldn’t answer the question without thinking it through.

“Your silence on the matter pretty much gives me my answer, Brock.”

“Don’t make assumptions because I think before I speak.”

“Look…” She placed her hand on my arm. “It wasn’t a fair question anyway. It was rhetorical. Because I know your entire life is here. I’d be a shitty person if I expected you to give all of that up and move to an unfamiliar place. That’s why this situation is so complicated. We may want to be together, but it very well may be impossible.”

My brows drew in. “Sounds like you’ve already made your mind up that this is a dead end.” I blew out a frustrated breath. “What are you saying, February?”

She stood. “I think I’m saying we should stop seeing each other before we both get hurt.” Her eyes watered. “I have to go.”

I shot up. “What? Wait. Let me at least drive you. We can talk this through. I—”

“I’m sorry, Brock.”

I couldn’t get another word in because she ran off faster than a bat out of hell—once again still wearing my shirt.

CHAPTER 14

February