Page 10 of Blowing His Circuit
"You wanna talk about it?"
"There's nothing to talk about, Cole." I clench my jaw before taking a long swig of my beer, which is now warm. I push it to the middle of the table.
"We've all been there," Brooks says in his deep voice.
"Oh, yeah? You guys all got the girl. Fuck." I don’t want to talk about it, but I also need to get it out. I've never been thismiserable in my life. I can't eat, and I'm sleeping like shit. I went to the library the other day, and Archer's wife, Hadley Marie, tried to cheer me up with a few books from my favorite author, but I couldn’t get past the first page.
All I can think about is that I'm supposed to go on living my life without Aubrey.
Cole nods. "Yeah, but they didn't all want us at first." He leans forward, tapping the table to force me to look at him. "Miranda threw me out of her coffee shop and told me she could figure out life on her own."
I eye Cole warily, then shake my head, still not wanting to hear it.
"Violet wouldn't even talk to me. Literally wouldn't speak the first time we met in person. She texted me that she wasn't interested while sitting across the table." Brooks chuckles like it's a fond memory.
I consider what they're saying but stubbornly shake my head again. "Yeah, well, I don't think Aubrey needs time to come around. She made it clear she's not interested."
"Look, Max. You're a lot of fun," Hayes pipes up.
I glower at him. This fucker's woman kissed him out of nowhere in the middle of a sidewalk, and they were married two days later. What advice could he possibly give me?
"You're always up for a joke and a smile," he adds.
"Some might even call you a bit of a flirt," Emmett adds.
I bristle. I like to talk to people, but I never mislead women about my intentions.
"Not in a bad way," he insists when he sees my face. He looks to Cole for help.
"Aubrey hasn't gotten to see that side of you, bud," Cole says. "I mean, she sees it when you talk to other people, but she hasn't had your attention in a positive way."
I know what he's saying. Once I decided I couldn't have her, I've lived this year in self-preservation mode, which has made me a bit of a prick around her.
"So what? I've been a dick to her, and she wants nothing to do with me? Yeah, I get it. I just wish I'd made other choices." Sighing, I rest my forehead on the wooden table.
"Oh, I think she wants to do something with you, man," Hayes says carefully.
I scoff as I lift my head. "Uh, trust me. She's not interested. We ran into each other at your house the other day, and I tried to kiss her. She turned me down. Hard."
"Yeah, I know, bud." Hayes grimaces and exchanges a look with Cole.
"What do you mean you know?" Oh, fuck. My blood runs cold. "Aubrey told Betty? Great, the entire fucking town knows."
I thought I was miserable before, but this takes the cake. And cake makes me think of Aubrey. Her beautiful smile. Her warm energy. And that body. God, that ass. Now there's some cake I'd like to sink my face into.
Fuck.
"No, no. Betty doesn't know." Hayes hesitates, then gives me a guilty shrug. "We have a camera in the kitchen. It's aimed at the back door for security, but, um, well, I saw what happened."
I stare at him. The thought of anyone hearing about what happened in the kitchen is humiliating enough, but now my friend is telling me he watched it unfold? My brain is about to short-circuit.
"Don't worry. I deleted it as soon as I realized what it was, but in the short amount of time I saw..." Hayes shakes his head. "You're wrong if you think she's not into you, is all I'm saying."
I don't know whether to be thrilled or horrified by Hayes’ assessment, but I don’t want to get my hopes up.
"Why would she say no then?" I ask, glancing at each of my friends.
"Well, maybe she doesn't know if she wants anything to do with you," Brooks suggests.
