Rob shakes his head. “Nah. Jessie loves you. She’s just scared too.”

“She’s got no reason to be scared. I’m here,” I snarl, slapping my chest.

Rob looks me up and down. “You tell her that? You tell her you love her? That you’re willing to go wherever she’s going?”

I pull my shoulders straight and glare at him. “Don’t have to tell her. I’ve shown her.”

Rob glares right back. “Yeah? What’ve you done to show that woman you’re all in?”

I rack my brain for an answer, but can’t think of one. She must know.

“You can be brave and show her. Or, you can keep bein’ stupid and let her go.”

Could it be that simple?

Rob crosses the shop, slapping a hand on my shoulder. “Either way, stop bein’ such an asshole. You’re scaring away all our new customers.”

I know she’s worth it. Worth chasing to the ends of the earth. But I’ve never gotten off my selfish, stubborn ass to bother showing her what she means to me.

“I need to take a few days off,” I tell Rob.

He nods. “Good. Bring that girl home. Mandy’s ready for grandbabies.”

I shake my head, ignoring Rob’s comment and the smile it put on my lips. I grab my phone out of my pocket and call Austin as I slide in behind the wheel of my car.

“What’s up, Dev?” Austin asks.

“Need your help, man.” I grip the steering wheel, hating what I know I’ve got to do. “Elizabeth with you?”

“Yeah, whaddya need?”

I tell him what I’ve got in mind, and after a solid five minutes of laughing at my expense, he’s ready to make shit happen.

If Jessie doesn’t know what I’m willing to do to keep her, she sure as fuck will soon. I just hope to hell it works.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Jessie

In a weird role reversal, nerdy and conservative Elizabeth is digging through my closet on Friday night looking for a cute outfit for me to wear. She’s been relentless for the past forty-eight hours, begging me to come out with her to celebrate the end of the term. I said no the first two hundred times she asked. I’ve ditched out on every single social obligation for the past week. ‘No’ is my new favorite word.

Seeing Devin again, telling him it was over and not having him fight it, has left me listless and exhausted. My sorority sisters have taken turns feeding me, bringing me mac and cheese, pancakes or ice cream on the days I couldn’t be bothered to get out of bed.

“Go shower. Your stink is starting to reach the hallways,” Michelle teases. She’s joking, I think. I showered yesterday. Didn’t I?