I Can Fix That

by Juliana Smith

Stop looking at her lips, you creep.

“I can fix that.”

“Bye, Hart.” I walked back to the front of the store as if that nickname didn’t give me goosebumps up my arms.

“Maybe. It’s kind of fun trying to read you. You have a perfect poker face.” He looked me dead in the eyes. “This is just my face.”

When you’re passionate about your job, you will find yourself working every day and not even considering it work.

You know when you make plans, and at the time it sounds fun, and then when you have to go, you feel nauseous?

Unknown number: Where are you?

My eyebrows lowered in confusion. Me: Grant? Unknown number: Yes. Where are you?

This guy already had me in a tizzy.

“I can fix that.”

“I can fix that. It’s like your catchphrase.”

“Do me a favor? Text me when you’re home.”

Cranky Contractor: I’m bringing you dinner. I’ll be there at 6.

“If you’re tired I can take you home, Hart.” Even with heavy eyes, I wasn’t ready to leave him. “I’m fine, keep going. I like watching.” His lips pulled at the corners, and I found myself slowly drifting to sleep in his presence.

this caused me to run right into a wall.

I hate this description in books. Literally no one feels like a wall.

“I can fix that.

“I’m serious. I know it sounds stupid, we didn’t even talk, but I was grabbing stain for the fl—” My sentence was cut off by Grant’s lips on mine. Both of his large hands wrapped around my jawline. He took my mouth with force, and I stilled for a moment, unsure how to react. Before slowly sinking into him, I relaxed in his grip, my hands placed on his chest.

He shook his head and simply said, “I like being around to help you, Hart.”

Cranky Contractor: Sweet dreams, Hart.

“That’s my girl.”

If you constantly let other people push your limits, one day you won’t have any.”

In the corner of the desk sat a 4x6 black picture frame. I reached over and pulled it towards me, and my stomach dropped at the sight of the picture. It was me.

I never had anything worth putting in a frame. But there I was. In a frame on his desk.

Next to the pebble was one of the tickets to the flower field we went to. Beside those was the fortune from the cookies he brought the first time he came over. I picked it up and saw a receipt sitting below it. The receipt was nothing fancy; it was just for some paint from Cooper’s hardware store. It was clearly a little old and worn. I turned over the back to see a date written in bright red ink on the back. The date was May of last year and it was circled in the same red ink. Below the date was one word. “Her.”

“They’re my June-venir’s.” I thought my heart was going to implode.

“I kept it in case I would get lucky enough to meet you again. And then I couldn’t stop saving little souvenirs from our meetings.”

“I can fix that.”

“Emma Hansley, expectant with child, has passed away at the young age of 26.”

“I realize you’ve had a lot happen in your life, and you would like to just put on this asshole mask and go through your day pretending to be a jerk, so no one approaches you. But that is too damn bad. I will not let you sit here and deny us both of the love we deserve just so you can avoid tragic things happening to either of us.”

This was so cold wtf

I would rather live only one day getting to love you than a million years without you in my life.”

not wanting to give him the pleasure of seeing the tears that rolled further down my cheek.

The pleasure??? He wants you happy

“I’ll come back for you, Hart.”

“June. My heart broke when Beau said you were selling it; all I could think was my poor sweet girl fell for something that she is so much stronger than. I knew what had to be done, and I’d be an idiot if someone outbid me for you.”

When we got there I saw a young couple with a baby in a stroller. You’d probably talk about how squishy it was. I’m working on it hart. I want to give you that one day.

I am yours, Hart. I will always call you Hart till I can one day call you Dawes.

“I can fix that.”