Made for You (The Best Mistake 2)
Page 95
He backed out of her reach. “No, you don’t, Brynn. You really don’t. If you did, you would have shown some sort of reaction when I showed up with another woman at your family’s house tonight.”
“Well, I certainly showed emotion when you sold me out to my parents!”
His hands found her shoulders and gave her a little shake. “And what was it you were feeling, Brynn? Anger? Embarrassment?’
Hurt.
She took a breath. Then another. And then said it. “It hurt.”
His lips twisted slightly. “It was supposed to.”
She shouldn’t be surprised, but it still felt like a slap in the face.
“Why?” she asked in a small voice.
He ignored her question. “What exactly are you so scared of, Brynn? That all your friends will turn their backs on you because you didn’t marry a doctor? My God, do you really think a friend would even care?”
“No,” she said in a small voice.
“Then why? Why don’t I even get a chance?”
“Because guys like you aren’t interested in girls like me!” she exploded. “Not for keeps, anyway!”
His jaw dropped slightly. “What the hell are you even talking about? What do you mean guys like me?”
She rolled her shoulders restlessly. “You know. Popular guys. And then the not-so-popular girls.”
Will stared at her for several seconds. “Hold up. Did we just take a time machine to high school? God, is that why you always date boring nerds? Because they won’t reject you?”
A time machine to before high school, actually, she thought. But she’d already said way more than she’d wanted to. “Can you please just…leave?” she asked weakly.
“Not until you explain. Are you pushing me away because you’re holding on to some shitty memories of when you were a little chubby and awkward?”
She sucked in a small breath. “You don’t know anything about it.”
“Damn straight! Because you never told me.”
“Because it’s painful,” she said. She waited to feel righteous. Waited to feel justified in her confession. Instead, she felt…small. And a little pathetic.
“Look, Brynn…don’t let a few ancient insecurities ruin this.”
“There’s nothing to ruin.”
“Bullshit,” he said plainly.
Her hair was sticking to her neck and it was getting increasingly harder to breathe. Why the hell was he pushing this? She needed him out. She needed space. She needed…
“We’re not right for each other,” she said, tightening the towel around her and forcing herself to take deep, even breaths.
“Why not?”
“Because you’re all charming and easygoing, and everyone loves you just by looking at you, and you’re going to wake up one day and realize that you don’t want me.”
Will threw his hands up in the air. “Dammit, Brynn! You’re not Dumpy Dalton anymore!”
A gasp ripped out of her at his words. Words she hadn’t heard in…
“Where’d you hear that name?” she whispered.