me couldn’t be counted on. My feelings for
her,
either. Our relationship consisted of three people: me, Leslie, and
you.”
“What? No! I never did that! I never told her that stuff in regard to you.” Had Leslie blamed me for her mistakes with Scot? I couldn’t believe she’d do that. “Scot, she talked about you a lot, sure. But I never gave her advice on your relationship.”
“You never mentioned how you think love is for suckers and that she shouldn’t trust her heart over her brain?”
Oh.
That.
“Um. Maybe I said that stuff to her. But it wasn’t specifically about you. We’ve had these conversations for almost as long as we’ve known each other.” I fought to find clarity. “And you can’t fault me for her behavior. That isn’t fair.”
“I don’t,” he said in a pained, quiet voice. “She made her choice. But your opinion weighs heavy with Leslie, and I bet if you go across the hall and ask her, she’ll tell you the same.”
“So you’re upset because I’ve shared my thoughts over the years with a woman whom you happened to date? That’s . . . well, it’s nonsense,” I whispered, hoping he’d see my point. “I knew Leslie long before you. Friends talk . . . they share opinions. It’s hardly fair to blame me for your failed relationship.”
“You’re right, and I didn’t. Not really.” Resting his forearms on his knees, Scot bent forward, saying, “Until I walked into my grandmother’s business this morning and saw you sitting there. That reminded me of everything Leslie ever said about you and your beliefs. And honestly, it struck me as the action of a cold, heartless woman. So yeah, I reacted.”
“I see. I’m heartless. Yep, you’ve figured me out, all right.” Pressure against my eyes told me tears were building, but this guy was not going to see me cry. “You have no idea what happened this morning. I got stuck there . . .” I clamped my lips shut. Really, why bother? His opinion was set. And what he thought meant nothing. Less than nothing. Negative one million degrees nothing.
Maybe if I repeated that one million times, I’d actually believe it.
“I protect my family,” Scot said quietly. “And my grandmother is a very important person in my family. I won’t let you use her.”
I opened my eyes wider, resisting the urge to blink, not able to comprehend anything other than my desire to be alone. “I doubt you’ll believe anything I say.” Somehow, I managed to keep my voice level. “So we’re done here.”
His face crumpled into a beaten expression. He started to stand, but then shook his head and resettled himself. “Ican’t leave. You’ve put me in an awkward situation with my grandmother. I need your help to fix it.”
“Fix what? I’m at a loss here.”
“Introductions, Julia. I know what you do for a living, and I’m not some dumb guy who can’t piece together the reason you were at Magical Matchups.”
My stomach lurched. Oh. Wow. I should’ve seen this coming, but I hadn’t. I’d focused too much on Leslie and the soul-mate garbage. His cold attitude suddenly made a heck of a lot more sense.
I shrugged, trying to act the part of a heartless woman. “What do you want me to say?”
In the snap of a finger, his entire demeanor changed. Hope washed into his expression, lightened his eyes. “Tell me I’m wrong. Tell me that you didn’t go to Magical Matchups under false pretenses. Tell me that you’re not out to hurt my grandmother.”
I wanted to. More than I can say. But the only thing I
could
say with complete honesty was “I’m not out to hurt Verda. I like her, Scot. More than I expected to.”
“And the rest of it?” he demanded.
I shrugged again, not wanting to lie, but not wanting to admit the truth, either. “This is pointless.”
Disappointment cascaded over him. “That’s what I thought. My grandmother believes we’re supposed to be together, and she’s a woman who cannot be deterred when she sets her
her,
either. Our relationship consisted of three people: me, Leslie, and
you.”
“What? No! I never did that! I never told her that stuff in regard to you.” Had Leslie blamed me for her mistakes with Scot? I couldn’t believe she’d do that. “Scot, she talked about you a lot, sure. But I never gave her advice on your relationship.”
“You never mentioned how you think love is for suckers and that she shouldn’t trust her heart over her brain?”
Oh.
That.
“Um. Maybe I said that stuff to her. But it wasn’t specifically about you. We’ve had these conversations for almost as long as we’ve known each other.” I fought to find clarity. “And you can’t fault me for her behavior. That isn’t fair.”
“I don’t,” he said in a pained, quiet voice. “She made her choice. But your opinion weighs heavy with Leslie, and I bet if you go across the hall and ask her, she’ll tell you the same.”
“So you’re upset because I’ve shared my thoughts over the years with a woman whom you happened to date? That’s . . . well, it’s nonsense,” I whispered, hoping he’d see my point. “I knew Leslie long before you. Friends talk . . . they share opinions. It’s hardly fair to blame me for your failed relationship.”
“You’re right, and I didn’t. Not really.” Resting his forearms on his knees, Scot bent forward, saying, “Until I walked into my grandmother’s business this morning and saw you sitting there. That reminded me of everything Leslie ever said about you and your beliefs. And honestly, it struck me as the action of a cold, heartless woman. So yeah, I reacted.”
“I see. I’m heartless. Yep, you’ve figured me out, all right.” Pressure against my eyes told me tears were building, but this guy was not going to see me cry. “You have no idea what happened this morning. I got stuck there . . .” I clamped my lips shut. Really, why bother? His opinion was set. And what he thought meant nothing. Less than nothing. Negative one million degrees nothing.
Maybe if I repeated that one million times, I’d actually believe it.
“I protect my family,” Scot said quietly. “And my grandmother is a very important person in my family. I won’t let you use her.”
I opened my eyes wider, resisting the urge to blink, not able to comprehend anything other than my desire to be alone. “I doubt you’ll believe anything I say.” Somehow, I managed to keep my voice level. “So we’re done here.”
His face crumpled into a beaten expression. He started to stand, but then shook his head and resettled himself. “Ican’t leave. You’ve put me in an awkward situation with my grandmother. I need your help to fix it.”
“Fix what? I’m at a loss here.”
“Introductions, Julia. I know what you do for a living, and I’m not some dumb guy who can’t piece together the reason you were at Magical Matchups.”
My stomach lurched. Oh. Wow. I should’ve seen this coming, but I hadn’t. I’d focused too much on Leslie and the soul-mate garbage. His cold attitude suddenly made a heck of a lot more sense.
I shrugged, trying to act the part of a heartless woman. “What do you want me to say?”
In the snap of a finger, his entire demeanor changed. Hope washed into his expression, lightened his eyes. “Tell me I’m wrong. Tell me that you didn’t go to Magical Matchups under false pretenses. Tell me that you’re not out to hurt my grandmother.”
I wanted to. More than I can say. But the only thing I
could
say with complete honesty was “I’m not out to hurt Verda. I like her, Scot. More than I expected to.”
“And the rest of it?” he demanded.
I shrugged again, not wanting to lie, but not wanting to admit the truth, either. “This is pointless.”
Disappointment cascaded over him. “That’s what I thought. My grandmother believes we’re supposed to be together, and she’s a woman who cannot be deterred when she sets her
Similar Books
