Page 96 of Fierce-Matt

“Anya, things in life happen for reasons. Whether they are convenient or you like them, they are there. This time in your life, you need the freedom you’ve got. Stop looking for signs of failure and look for the ones that help you succeed.”

She blinked her eyes. He thought a tear would fall, but it didn’t. Thankfully. He wasn’t good with tears.

But she got up and moved over to sit in his lap. “Like having you back in my life,” she whispered.

He could say he loved her now.

He wanted to desperately, but learned when you were desperate was when all the mistakes happened.

27

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“Why am I not surprised you’re here?” Anya said the next morning, twenty minutes before the tour was going to start.

Ben was by his side and looking between the two of them. “What’s going on?” Ben asked.

“I wanted to tell you I wore Anya down,” Matt said, giving one of those cocky smirks that she found adorable as an adult and not as annoying as a teen.

Ben laughed. “In a good or bad way? I mean, she’s not shooting you with daggers, but it’s damn close right now.”

Matt whipped his head around to look at her squinting at him. “Shit,” he said. The grin was gone and concern covered his expression. “I thought it’d be good to do it together. Ben would not believe me. Are you pissed?”

She rolled her eyes. “No. I made the comment about you being here because it was so fast after you found out last night I was working.”

“Why wait?” he asked, leaning over the bar for her to kiss him.

Talk about putting it out there.

But she did as he was silently asking because he was just too damn irresistible with his lips puckered while he waited. The last thing she wanted was for him to think he’d made a mistake.

“Oh shit,” Ben said. “Are you two pranking me on this?”

“Nope,” he said, his chest puffing slightly as if he’d won. “I did it on my own.”

“By doing a lot of groveling?” Ben asked.

Anya nodded her head rapidly when Matt wasn’t looking. “How did you guess?” she asked.

“We know Matt was a dick to you back then. I’m stunned. I really am. Happy if you two are.”

“Don’t make her doubt herself,” Matt said, throwing his hands up.

“I’m happy,” she rushed out. “I think your brother is. He tells me enough. Mighty Matt to the rescue.”

“Oh, my God,” Ben said, his eyes wide, his laugh loud. “She knows aboutthat?”

Matt’s face flushed and she burst into a fit of giggles. “Did you tell her?” he asked his brother, shooting rays out of his eyes as if Superman was going to burn the evil opponent to the ground.

“No.” Ben shook his head, but his smile remained. “I’d never do that. Ishouldhave just to embarrass your ass but didn’t.”

He turned to her. “Did Phoebe tell you that?”

“Nope,” she said. “Why are you embarrassed?”

“Because Matt gave himself that nickname when he was younger and asked us all to call him that.”

“Ass,” he said, shoving his brother. Ben didn’t budge. He was much more solid in muscle mass than her boyfriend was.