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Discout "That’s not true"

"Yes, it is And I’m fine with it now I love Reed I’ether, I felt…I don’t know, like I was lacking or so with our relationship--you knew it too--but I figured it was both our faults No chehed "But it was so obvious you felt passion for Brett Like, an obscene amount of passion"

His storet that spiraled upward and tightened his throat He’d felt passion, all right Passion and excitement and love, da if maybe I was the reason we didn’t work out," she confessed "And then I got mad and self-conscious and embarrassed, and I took it out on Brett I’hthroat "You were pretty dareed

"I know," she wailed "And I feel horrible about it I finally got the nerve to ask Reed to bug you for Brett’s nuize to her personally, but then he told me you two had broken up" She hesitated "Why did you end it? Any idiot could see you guys were crazy about each other"

AJ sed "Ito say He was genuinely touched that Darcy had coize, but he wasn’t ready to tell her why Brett had broken things off Any explanation he’d give required a shit ton of history he wasn’t interested in sharing, not even with Darcy, as one of the greatest listeners he’d ever nawed on the inside of his cheek "That’s easier said than done"

"Love is never easy, AJ You have to work for it, fight for it If you don’t, then it’ll just slip away, and you’ll be left feeling miserable and alone"

Yup Miserable and alone was precisely what he’d been feeling since Brett had walked out of his life

Darcy approached the desk, bending down to plant a light kiss on his forehead "I love you, you know You’re the best man I’ve ever known, AJ, and I want you to be happy"

"I know" He sed again "I love you, too, Darce"

A knock on the half-open door sent both their heads swiveling toward it

And talk about another surprise--AJ’s parents were standing in the doorway

His jaw fell open when he spotted them His folks had never visited him at the club before Hadn’t stepped foot in Sin since AJ and his friends had bought it, and before today, showed zero interest in doing so