I pull a face. ‘Am I supposed to be impressed?’
‘No, I… just. He deserved it. All those times we came after you. I should have told him to back off and leave you the fuck alone in high school. I know that now.’
He rakes his fingers through his hair and looks to the ground again. The wind gently rustles the trees. I glance back but I can’t see if anybody from Sunset Pines is watching me or not.
‘Things were going really good between us until last night…’ he says, and his tone is subdued, rough with regret. ‘Please, Hollie. Tell me what I gotta do to make it up to you. ’Cause you’re… you know…’
My gaze flits to his. He looks vulnerable with that black eye and cut lip. Still holding the flowers, he rubs his rib cage, and I wonder if he’s bruised there too.
‘I know what?’ I ask when he doesn’t finish his sentence.
He shakes his head. ‘Nothin’.’
‘Tell me.’
He blows out his cheeks. ‘You’re my ride-or-die, is all.’
Something in my chest swells.Ride-or-dieimplies the depth of his feelings for me and is the first indication he’s given me that he’s serious about our relationship. It renders me speechless.
‘So, like, just… tell me what I gotta do,’ he says. ‘To win you back.’
I stand opposite him. He can’t look me in the eye.
‘The flowers are a good start,’ I murmur.
He holds them out on an outstretched arm. I take them. It seems he hoped they would be enough, and maybe he’s a touch disappointed that they’re not.
‘They’re beautiful,’ I say, holding onto the stems. ‘Can you just give me a couple of days? I just need time to work this through in my head.’
‘Okay,’ he says. ‘I’ll be here. Whenever you’re ready. To talk, or… whatever. You want me on my knees, I’ll do it. I’ll do anything.’
‘I’ll tell you when I’m ready,’ I say.
He’s pushed his hands all the way into the pockets of his jeans. ‘Just so you know…’ he says quietly. ‘I think you’re awesome. And you look hot in that pink uniform. There’re so many things I wish I’d done different. But if you need time… then I guess… I guess I’m down with that.’
I press my lips together. I want to tell him that I’ve been in love with him since high school. Instead, I nod my head. ‘I should probably get back to being a candy striper.’
‘Cool,’ he says. ‘Echo’s prolly wondering why the fuck I’m not at work.’
‘Ride safely,’ I say, just as he reaches for his helmet.
I watch him ride away. There’s a lump in my throat. I wish I’d forgiven him. Because I don’t see there being another man like him in my life. Not now, or maybe ever.
Because AJ Callahan is my Coyote Maverick.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Hollie
Since AJ seems so eager to earn my forgiveness bydoingsomething, I send a message to his phone with a suggestion. It involves the four of them: AJ, Chase, Balthazar and Nicole. Their chance to clean the slate. A way for us all to reset. To forget the sins of high school.
AJ sends me a message back.On it.
‘What’d you have him do?’ Aubri asks me from behind her desk in the reception area of Sunset Pines, wearing a headset. She’s eating a red Twizzler curled around her fingers. I’ve filled them in on the relevant history.
‘I told them to come here. That we had some jobs needed doing.’
Next to her, Nabila blinks at me. ‘You didn’t ask for a foot rub? Or a back massage? A buy-me-anything trip to the mall? An Hermès clutch? Are you insane? Girl, you could have hadanything.’