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“All of this is kind of crazy, don’t you think?” I asked, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. “I mean, I don’t know you—not really. You could be an axe murderer playing the long game, and I’m just your unsuspecting victim who fell for your gruff cowboy charm.” His laugh was deep and rich, like the smell of molasses in the air. “Gruff cowboy charm? Do you think I could quote you on that? I think that’d make a great tagline to use when they talk about all my murders.”
Shit, flaws were what made a person who they were. If we were all perfect and life was cookie-cutter, would it be worth living? Besides, they were subjective. No matter how hard I’d tried over the years, the only fault I found in Josie was how she left.
“You can’t base your own value on the words and actions of others because there are some shitty people in this world who’ll take advantage of that. They’ll put you down to make themselves feel in control and step on you to get what they want. You’ve got to remember that at the end of the day, you’re the one who gives them that power.”
The stars in the sky had nothing on her. She was a mess—a beautiful fucking mess I wanted to get lost in.
She smiled, and it was almost convincing. I wondered how long she’d had to practice that, how long she’d been hiding her feelings from those around her.
“Break up with that piece of shit you call a boyfriend, and I’ll tell you every sordid detail. Then, when you’re writhing underneath me, just like you are right now, I’ll make good on every word I said.”
And yet, here I was… Sitting next to my current fling while my five-night stand from over a year ago watched me with careful consideration. Obviously, I’d been a fluffy baby bunny murderer in my past life. That was the only possible explanation for this level of torture.
He’d ignored all the things I cared about—he’d given me black coffee for fuck’s sake—and I’d written it all off because why? Because I thought he was a good guy and a safe choice?
“Fuck the leather, fuck the lace. Cheers to the ones who sit on our face!”
That was true. It was why I’d always done it, at least. Especially on the night Lincoln had shared his special bottle with me at the bar. I’d been running from my past, and mourning the loss of something I’d never had.
If you wear the hat, you ride the cowboy.
“I have spent years letting others dictate my worth. Every time a relationship failed, I blamed it on myself—that I loved too hard, wanted too much, or wasn’t worth staying for. When I met you, I was coming out of a bad relationship and thought you’d be the same. I mean, how the hell could we fall in love in five days, you know? So, that’s why I left. I was scared shitless, and at least this time, I was the one walking away. I thought there’d be power in that, but it felt horrible. I almost turned around fifteen times before I even made it out of Tennessee.
