Page 73 of Draft Pick
Bodhi seems to have had enough, cutting both of them off to finally get to the point. “What these dipshits are trying to say is…we’re calling an intervention.”
“Not exactly calling it, but forcing it. Nicely, of course.” Gus smirks.
“Intervention?” I mumble slowly through disbelief.
Cal circles around, putting the four of them front and center for my…intervention. “Basically, you’re being a certified pussy, and we’re here to convince you to man the fuck up and change your ways,” he tells me honestly.
I blink. “And how exactly am I being a pussy?”
“Juniper,” the four of them proclaim in unison.
“Juniper?” I repeat, questions swarming in my head. “What’s Juniper got to do with anything?”
Gus huffs. “Only everything. You’ve got it bad, man. Crazy bad, and none of us can figure out why you aren’t doing anything about it.”
I won’t deny the fact that I’m crazy about her. The guys have seen it.
“Why do you think?” I protest. “I’m falling apart. My arm is shot, which means I’m definitely retiring at the end of the season, whether I need surgery or not. I’m halfway running a restaurant I should be more involved in, and my little girl is finally doing great in school and home after struggling for so long.”
“Thanks to Juniper!” King blurts. He’s not wrong.
I shake my head, just trying to get through to them. “Exactly. Juniper is Addie’s doctor. And I’m incredibly grateful for the care she’s given her. So, how could I ever mess up that relationship by letting myself fall for her? Trust me, I’ve thought about the possibility more than I’m proud to admit.”
“Who says falling for her would ruin anything? Fuck, Briggs. This isn’t some teacher-student shit. If you ask me, I’d say having Juniper as Addie’s doctor and also in her life in other ways is an advantage. More care for Addie. Isn’t that what you want for her?” Cal asks, and I know how passionate he is about his own kids, so this checks out.
“Of course that’s what I want.”
“Then, I think you’re just making excuses,” King adds.
“AndIthink you’re afraid to take on too much. Yes, you’ll be going through a big transition soon enough, but wouldn’t it make the thick of it that much easier with a partner who wants to see you succeed, maybe even more than you do?”
It would…
“I guess…”
“You guess? Briggs, wake the fuck up. That beautiful woman is going on dates with other men. What happens if she meets one who’s actually a good guy and you’re too late?” Gus rambles, an unbearable ache forming in my chest.
“Wait, she’s still dating?”
Gus nods. “She has a date on Friday. Trust me. I have my resources.”
Tenley.
I remember Juniper talking about her upcoming date over pancakes, but to be honest, I figured after our kiss, she would call it off. “We kissed. I thought she would cancel.”
“Did youaskher to cancel?” Cal questions, and I feel exceptionally stupid. All this time, I thought I was protecting our friendship by pretending my feelings weren’t there, no matter how often I slipped and made it evident they were.
I just pushed them down and made lame excuses.
“No. I didn’t. I may have even insisted we forget it happened.”
“Have I not taught you anything over the years?” Gus sighs, gripping the length of his hair in annoyance.
“Not really, no.” I squint, my thoughts running rapidly with the confirmed news of Juniper still dating. I’m not sure what I expected. I was the one who suggested we fake it for a moment, knowing we both could use the escape to a different time and place.
But I guess it was never really a charade for me after all.
Falling for Juniper Wilde is the most real thing I’ve ever felt, and I may have sabotaged every last shot I had with her simply out of fear.
