“Oh, no,” Sayla groans.
“What?” I blurt.
“I’m so sorry, friends, but the shot came out blurry. I think you need to kiss again. Maybe a little slower this time?”
“Nah. Slower won’t work.” Dex smirks. “Another still shot like that won’t be nearly romantic enough for our purposes.”
“Our purposes?” Sayla rolls her eyes. “All right, genius. What doyousuggest?”
We all turn toward Dex, and he grins. “We’re gonna need a video.”
Chapter Thirteen
Bridger
I know what Dex is trying to do.
The guy’s been on to me forever. On to my true feelings, that is. And he wants to give me a moment—just one—of holding the woman I love in my arms before reality hits, and the fact that this is all fake comes crashing down on us.
Correction: On me.
Because let’s face it, Loren doesn’t feel the same way I do. This isn’t some giddy romcom where the main characters have been best friends since childhood, quietly pining away for each other for decades, but somehow never gathering the courage to have a single honest conversation about their secret crush.
Please.
When we first met, Loren was already spoken for. Permanently, as far as I knew. The fact that I felt an instant attraction couldn’t have been more irrelevant. The woman was engaged. So even after I got to know her, the depth of humorand intelligence, none of that mattered. Loren Cane wore Foster Abel’s ring. And I’d never interfere with what I assumed was a happy relationship.
And yet.
Day after day, week after week, month after month, Loren proved to be everything I’d ever wanted in a partner. And then some. More perfect for me than I imagined any one person could be. The only thing standing between her and a deep, heartfelt confession? The fact that she wasn’t free.
Until she was.
Except in those early days, then weeks and months after Foster broke off their engagement, Loren’s hurt was so raw, the abandonment so fresh, there was no way I could even hint about how I felt. She’d already lost her mother. Her father was struggling. Then her fiancé walked out, leaving her vulnerable in a way that demanded I be there for her … strictly as a friend.
Not to mention every other statement out of her mouth was a promise that she’d never date again. She was done. Finito. Over and out. There couldn’t have been a worse time for me to swoop in and plead my case.
So I bided my time.
I hoped patience was on my side.
Through the winter and spring, everyone’s focus was on Sayla and Dex. Their wedding. Their future. Any confessions on my end would have to wait until after they got married. I figured if Loren shot me down then, the potential awkwardness between us would have little impact on our best friends.
So.
I braced my heart to finally take the risk when we moved Loren into Dex’s apartment. If she felt even the slightest ember of the fire already blazing in me, I was prepared. All I needed was a sign that something was there I could work with and nurture.
Instead, the universe showed me exactly how desperate she was that day. How dire her straits were, both emotionally and financially. The truth? She’s no less vulnerable now than she was when Foster left. If anything, she’s more fragile.
So I decided to pivot.
I came clean with her about something else: The donations. My trust fund. The terms. I even offered to marry Rosalind to help. Sacrificing for Loren felt like the right thing to do.
It still does.
But going forward, I’ll never know if any feelings she might have for me grew from a genuine connection, or if she’s simply … grateful. The situation will always be complicated because I’m her benefactor. Not her boyfriend.
And tomorrow, I’ll be her husband.