The Bookworm's Guide to Dating by Hart Emma

Author:Hart, Emma
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Emma Hart
Published: 2020-10-05T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FOURTEEN – KINSLEY

rule fourteen: life has cliffhangers, too.

I swallowed. My mouth resembled a desert, and I wasn’t sure any amount of water would stop this feeling. “What?”

Josh ran his hand through his hair and puffed out his cheeks as he exhaled. “She’s not wrong.”

“But that—that—”

“That means I have feelings for you,” he said with a hard edge to his voice. “There. Are you happy now? You know the truth.”

I said nothing.

“No? I didn’t think so. There’s a reason I’ve never told you, and it’s because you’re Colton’s sister, not because that’s how I see you. I would have lived the rest of my life never telling you because he’s my best friend and I’d be pissed if it was the other way around, but you just keep pushing and pushing and—”

“My brother has no say over the choices I make! After all this, don’t you think I have a right to know if that’s how you feel about me?”

“No. Because this would happen. Because it changes everything and we both know that nothing can ever happen.”

“Why? Because Colton says so?”

“No, because I respect you far too much to ever put you in a position where you could get hurt.”

“Sounds like you don’t want to get punched by my brother.”

He shrugged a shoulder. “I’ve seen his right hook. I can’t say I’m interested in feeling it for myself.”

“Don’t make this a joke, Josh.”

He threw his arms out. “What do you want me to do, Kins? I thought setting you up would mean you’d find a guy you could go out with and be happy with and that would be the kick I needed to accept it would never happen.”

“So why don’t you let me?”

“Because I’m a fucking dumbass idiot who didn’t think through the consequences of seeing you date other men.”

I looked at him for a long moment. Realization set in with a heavy cloud, and the lump in my throat was almost unbearable. “Because the guy I’d be dating isn’t you.”

His nostrils flared, and he stared at the books the right of us. “Two guys. Two guys, and I’m done. I can’t do it anymore, all right? I can’t set you up on anymore dates.”

What if I don’t want anymore?

The question lingered on the tip of my tongue, but I couldn’t quite spit it out.

“I can’t see you go out with these guys, Kins. I can’t. And—I can’t do this either.” He threw his hands up in surrender and walked past me.

“Why didn’t you ever tell me?”

He stilled. “I told you—”

“No, you gave me some bullshit. Tell me the truth.”

He turned back to me. “Because if I told you, I’d have to tell Colton, and telling him that I have feelings for his sister is the biggest betrayal I could dish out to him. And I won’t do that. I won’t betray him like that.”

“You’re acting like you made a pact not to date each other’s sisters.” When he didn’t answer, I knew. “Oh, my God. You did.”

His chin jerked in response.

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