Page 21 of Wild Heart

Tate went back to searching my expression, the blue in his eyes swirling with so many unspoken thoughts, his dark brows slightly furrowed.

I couldn’t take it.

I needed to get out of here.

“Is there something specific you wanted to discuss? I really need to get going.”

Hurt moved through him. Hurt and, I was convinced I wasn’t mistaken about it, regret. “Look, Ava, I know we aren’t on the best of terms right now. I’m sorry about that?—”

“Please don’t do this to me, Tate. I don’t want apologies,” I told him.

He let out a frustrated sigh. “I just want you to know that I didn’t mean to hurt you. I want us to try to work this out, but with the wedding tomorrow, there’s a lot going on. I don’t think we’re going to fix this in a five-minute conversation, and it deserves some time. The reason I wanted to talk to you now is because I was hoping we’d be able to find a way to put aside our differences for the next day, so we can celebrate together with Wyatt and Rhea tomorrow. I know things are tense between us, but you’re part of this family. I almost don’t remember my life before you were in it. And I just want you and I to both be able to enjoy ourselves at the wedding.”

While so much of what he said should have made me feel good, it was like a slap to the face, like I’d been doused by a bucket of ice water.

It finally made sense.

He’d just said it—I was part of this family.

Every thought I’d had over the years of Tate flirting with me wasn’t what I had thought. I’d been mistaken from the start. It wasn’t flirting at all.

Tate thought I was nothing more than his sister. He’d just been teasing me the same as he would have done with Ivy or Jules.

Oh, God.

Oh no.

He must have been so disgusted when I’d done what I’d done, standing in front of him wearing a sexy bra and urging his hands to my body.

I had to get out of here.

But I couldn’t just get in my car and drive away without answering him.

If this was what he wanted, I’d give it to him. If nothing else, Wyatt and Rhea deserved to have the both of us there celebrating with them.

So, I swallowed past the lump that had formed in my throat and buried the hurt in my heart. I forced a small smile on my face and nodded. “Sure, Tate, I can do that.”

“Yeah?”

“Of course. Wyatt is important to me, and I think Rhea is wonderful. They deserve this.”

In a move I hadn’t been expecting, Tate reached his hand out and curled his fingers around mine. He squeezed them gently, holding my stare. The corners of his mouth turned up in a smile. “It really is so good to see you, Ava.”

Why did it have to be this way?

When all I wanted to do was throw my arms over his shoulders and kiss him, Tate wanted nothing to do with me.

In an effort not to unearth the devastation that knowledge left me with, I returned the sentiment. “It’s good to see you, too, Tate.”

He smiled, the tension easing out of his features. “I’ll see you tomorrow, wild one.”

I had no choice but to ignore the longing I felt with that endearment. Why would he ever say such a thing when he saw me the way he did?

“Yeah. Have a good night.”

My throat was so dry, the words barely came out.

Tate opened my door for me, the gesture only making my heart yearn for something I couldn’t have, and I slipped in behind the wheel.