Deal Takers (Dealing with Love 2)

HUUULK SMAAASH!

I’m shaken out of my Marvel reverie when Rainey clears her throat and glares at me.

“Is that why you’re here, Brody?” she counters. “Looking for a ‘quick fuck’?”

“I’m here with Drew. He claimed he needed a wingman to hook up with one of the bartenders. Clearly, that was just a ruse. Or maybe a happy coincidence.”

She sighs. “Well, if it still matters, I wouldn’t have gone through with it. The only reason I’m here is because Devyn wouldn’t give up. I was planning on having a drink or two then faking a headache so I could go home and binge on Netflix.”

Hell, yeah, it still matters. I keep that thought to myself for now though.

“This whole setup thing may be my fault,” I admit. “I haven’t been the easiest person to be around lately. They’re probably sick of dealing with me.”

Her red lips turn up in the corners. “I’ve been a bit difficult lately, too. And when I say difficult, I mean bitchy.”

I laugh. Rainey’s never one to mince words.

She smiles. “I missed this.”

I raise my eyebrows. “Missed what?”

“Talking to you. Looking at you. Laughing with you. Hell, I’ve missed everything about you, Brody.”

I don’t say anything...I just gaze into those chestnut eyes of hers. Funny thing is that neither one of us seems bothered by the silence. It’s comfortable. That’s a good thing, right?

After a minute or so, I finally speak. “I’ve missed you, too, sweetheart.”

She swallows hard. “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.” I nod.

“Are you seeing anyone?” Rainey chews on her bottom lip, waiting for my response.

“Not unless you count my right hand. That’s been seeing a lot of action. So much so, that sometimes Lefty needs to pinch-hit.”

Her laughter is musical. “Oh, my God, Brody, only you would bring up masturbation at a time like this.”

I shrug, not ashamed in the least. “I’m just being truthful.”

Her expression sobers. “I’ve been thinking a lot about what you said. Like, it’s all I seem to think about.”

I wince. “About that...I’ve been wanting to apologize for some of the things I said that morning. I was really angry...and frustrated, so I said some pretty dickish things that I didn’t mean.”

“It was completely warranted, Brody. And it forced me to face the ugly truth head on. I should be the one apologizing.”

“What truth?”

She gulps. “That I was being a coward. You see, I’m in love with this big, goofy man-child and I didn’t have the balls to tell him, so he walked away from me—rightfully so. He thought I didn’t love him or trust him enough and that’s so far from the truth, it’s scary. I let my bitterness from my past affect the present. I unfairly made assumptions about this guy, when in fact, he was nothing like those assholes who treated me poorly.

“I don’t know when it happened, but at some point, I realized that he made me happier than I’ve ever been in my life. That became even more apparent when suddenly, he was no longer in my world. I’ve been a fucking wreck without him, Brody. I thought ending things before my heart became too invested would save me from this pain. What I didn’t know, was that my heart was already too invested.”

I exhale in relief. Fuck, that feels good to hear.

“That’s funny you say that, because there’s a certain ginger that I haven’t been able to get out of my head. Both heads, actually. She’s kind of ruined me for any other woman. I think about her no less than fifty-five thousand times a day. Her tits twice that.”

She laughs with tears in her eyes. “I love you, Brody Harris. I’m so fucking in love with you and I’m so sorry I couldn’t admit that two months ago.”

I can’t torture myself—or her—anymore, so I round the table and cage her in against it. “Say it again.”