Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 97466 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 487(@200wpm)___ 390(@250wpm)___ 325(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97466 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 487(@200wpm)___ 390(@250wpm)___ 325(@300wpm)
“Fine. In fact, she—oh.” He let out a sigh, back to sounding defeated. “Ugh.”
“What? What’s wrong?”
“I was going to say Abby’s been busy making plans for her wedding. I was kind of counting on being able to take Louis as my date to all her wedding stuff—you know, because of Jared—and now I realized I can’t.”
After hearing about Hugh’s ex from Abby, I hadn’t been able to keep from fishing for more information from Hugh himself. What I’d heard had been… upsetting, though Hugh had tried to play it off. Jared said he loved me but that I wanted more than he could give, he’d written, as though he wasn’t quoting the tritest line of bullshit any asshole had ever delivered to the beautiful, lovable human they hadn’t deserved. He just couldn’t see himself ever being tied to one person permanently. We wanted different things, I guess.
The fact that I’d given Hugh a similar rationale for why I didn’t do relationships anymore wasn’t lost on me, but at least I’d had the decency to make my feelings clear from the very outset. The idea that Jared had been involved with Hugh—living with Hugh—for two years before saying these things made the situations entirely different.
I’d never break Hugh’s heart.
Knowing that Hugh would soon be related to this heart-stomping, idiotic “Prince Charming” made me feel like a human volcano, ready to spew a river of vicarious molten rage lava hot enough to burn entire cities.
“You’ll find someone else,” I assured him. “And if not…” I cleared my throat. “If not, I can always go with you.”
Was this a terrible idea? Almost certainly. Offering to go with him to a family event was the absolute last thing I should be doing. But I couldn’t stand hearing him sound upset and nervous. Less-than. As if Jared was anything special.
He wasn’t.
He couldn’t possibly be.
Only an imbecile would have given Hugh up.
“You’d go with me? In person? In violation of Oscar Overton’s Text Friendship Rules?” he teased. “Huh… maybe I’m still drunk.”
I could hear the grin in his voice. “Maybe so. But Jared needs to be put in his place, and at the risk of sounding arrogant, having a rich playboy on your arm might do the job. Hell, we could even tell him we’re a thing.”
My mouth snapped shut as my brain caught up with it. What the actual fuck? The idea of being on Hugh’s arm had felt so good, so natural, the suggestion had rolled right off my tongue… which scared me enough to jolt me back to reality. The “Text Friendship Rules,” as Hugh called them, existed for a reason. Because I was not strong enough to resist this sweet, sexy man on my own…
And despite my incredible track record at picking winners in business, when it came to love, I’d never learned how to invest wisely.
I had no reason to believe that a relationship with Hugh would end any differently than my relationships with Boone, and James, and Roman, and all of the other wonderful men I’d dated over the years, and I didn’t want to imagine a world where Hugh and I tried to be a couple and didn’t work out. Where we lost the perfect, simple closeness of our current friendship. Where I’d have to—Jesus Christ—give a best man speech at his wedding.
I didn’t want to watch Hugh find his after-Oscar love while I became just a footnote in his dating history.
Which meant the rules needed to stay in place. It was safer for both of us.
“Fake dating to make the ex jealous?” Hugh said thoughtfully. “Hm… not a bad idea, but I would never ask you to do that. Besides, with all the travel you’ve been doing, you’re probably going to be out of the country or something. It’s a good reason to try and get back on the horse though. With dating, I mean.”
That wasn’t what I wanted. Not at all. I wanted Hugh to take a break from dating, take a break from exposing himself to the caprice of strange men who would never care for him the way he deserved. But… he was right. If he wanted his own HEA, he needed to keep looking. Keep putting himself out there. Even if it hurt me.
I meant him.
Even if it hurt me to see him hurt, was what I’d meant.
Shit.
“Absolutely.” I spoke the word with a confidence I didn’t feel, ignoring the sick twist in my stomach. “In fact, this weekend, when you’re working the wedding, would be the perfect time to find someone—”
“Not at the wedding,” Hugh argued. “You know I avoid wedding hookups.” He hesitated. “Usually.”
Memories of the night I’d been his exception flashed through my brain, and want flooded my bloodstream. “You need to blow the Louis cobwebs out of your brain, Hugh,” I said, my voice rough but firm. “So here’s what you’re going to do. You’re going to find the hottest guy at that wedding—”