Page 17 of Love on the Byline
“You want me to tell her I don’t know why she’s so mad aboutme talking to the Dean?” He huffed out a laugh. “Yeah, that’ll go down reallywell.”
“You say Blake, I was onlylooking out for people who were less fortunate than me. And I honestly didn’tthink what I did could make you despise me so much, years later, but now Iunderstand how shitty it was for you. And I deservewhatever punishment you see fit.”
“That’s laying it on a bit thick, isn’t it?”
Ollie shrugged. “You treated Blake—and every other personyou thought was in your way—like a chess piece to be taken down or manipulateduntil you got your way.”
“Damn,” Bran frowned at him. “That’s harsh. College was adog-eat-dog world. You know that. And if that’s how you really feel, why areyou here? Why stay friends with me?”
“Bran…” Ollie hated the turn this conversation had taken.The last thing he needed was for him to start questioning Ollie’s friendship orhis loyalty. “You’re the best guy I know. Sure, you can be a dick. Most of thetime, actually, but dude…” He met his skeptical gaze. “You saved my life.”
“Come on. Not that shit again.”
“Yes, that shit again.”
Backing away and breathing heavily, Bran folded his handsatop his head. “Ols, you have to stop saying that. I didn’t save your fuckinglife. Is that why you’re working for me? You think you oweme?”
Yes. And… “I’m here because you need someone inyour corner you can trust one hundred percent,” he said truthfully. “And, forthe record, I wouldn’t be standing here if you hadn’t—”
Bran threw up a hand. “Stop.”
“You know it’s true.”
Swallowing hard, Bran dropped his arms to his sides. “Istill think you should have pressed charges.”
A sliver of a memory emerged, the ghost of a pain so acutehe could almost feel it. He shook himself.
“They were only kids, I didn’t want to ruin anyone’s life.”
“You were a kid, too, Ols. What if your injurieshad been more severe? What if you’d hit your head on the concrete, or—”
Ollie held up a hand to stop him. “But they weren’t and Ididn’t. Anyway, it doesn’t matter now. What matters is that we make this wholesituation work for you. Blake may be a blessing in disguise.”
Bran snorted.
“I’m serious. She may not like you, yet, but she seems to stilllike me. Or at least not hate me on sight.”
One corner of Bran’s mouth tipped up. “Did you two ever…?”
“No. She… No.” The idea that they could have—maybealmost had—made it suddenly hard to breathe. “Blake is… She’s… Shit, I mean, wewere friends. We never…”
“You’re the most emo motherfucker I’ve ever met,” Bran said,laughing. “You liked her, didn’t you? Now that I think about it, you two weretogether a lot. Are you sure you didn’t hit that?” He ran a hand across hischin. “Blake may be a hard ass, but she’s stunning. Smart. Just your type.”
“You’re an ass.”
“Never claimed not to be.” Bran picked up a stress ball fromthe corner of the desk and began tossing it in the air. “For real, though.She’s…something to you. Isn’t she?”
The thing was…he wasn’t wrong. Blake was thecomplete package—intelligent, empathetic, in possession of a wicked sense ofhumor and a steadfast notion of right and wrong. She was just as Ollieremembered her only more, somehow.
When they met, he may have been an insecure, mess of a guy,but he wasn’t blind. Even now, he was still working through some of his issues,but Ollie had come a long way in six years. He wanted to spend time with Blake,to get to know her again, and to have her know him. For real, this time, andnot just in the fantasies born from his sad regrets.
“She’s exactly the kind of person you need.” Bran’s words,spoken softly, ripped through him like a sword.
“What do you mean?”
“You’re two nerdy peas in a pod.” He scratched his chin.“Hang on, I might be onto something.”
Unease made the hair stand up on Ollie’s arms. “Somethinglike what?”