Chapter 28
Chapter twenty-eight
Maverick
"You've been even more annoyingly happy lately. What's the deal?"
"Well, Bear, believe it or not, not everyone can pull off being as grumpy as you. Some of us actually enjoy happiness. Shocking, I know," I bounce back at him with a chuckle.
I'm met with an unamused grimace and a typical eye roll.
Tough crowd.
Since coming to work on this oil rig, Bear has become one of my closest friends. However, we couldn't be any different, even if we tried. He's a grumpy asshole, but he's a good guy.
"I'll tell you about it if you tell me who that song you played last night is about..."
"Not a fucking chance. I'm not that curious," he grunts, annoyed.
Unlike the other guys out here, Bear's constant annoyance doesn't bother me. It intrigues me if anything. I find joy in seeing how far I can push him before he blows up.
Fuck it, it's fun.
There's very little to do out here to keep us entertained. This is my form of entertainment.
Although I like fucking with him, and he's an all-around moody bastard who constantly has a chip on his shoulder, he's easy to talk to, and he's a good listener. Granted, he listens more than he talks.
My point is, he doesn't like me all the time, but he tolerates me, and that's good enough for me. Somehow, we just click.
"Fine, I can see how bad you want to know, so I'll tell you," I say sarcastically.
"Yeah, I'm dying to know, Mav. It's killing me not knowing every detail of your life." He shakes his head and lets out a deep chuckle, showing just how unimpressed he is with me.
"You wound me. Anyways, remember the girl I told you about?"
"The falling stripper?" he replies as he continues to work without glancing at me.
"She's not a fucking stripper," I grumble under my breath. "Yes, her."
"Yeah, and?"
"We're still seeing each other, and I think it's getting serious."
"You think?" He turns to face me, eyebrows raised in confusion.
"Yeah, well... She's not necessarily easy to read."
"Uhm, ever thought of just asking her?"
"Duh, asshole. Tried that."
He snorts, clearly amused now. "What the fuck do you mean you tried that?"
"I asked her to make it official a few times..."
"And…?" he says, his deep voice rising an octave higher than usual.
"And, it didn't necessarily go like I hoped.” That’s putting it lightly.
The first time I asked her was after our date at my and my parents’ restaurant in New Orleans.
She didn’t talk to me for a week after that—thought I blew it.
The second time was last month, after she made me come so hard I fucking saw stars.
Then, she laughed it off and called me emotional.
The third and latest time was last week, to which she scoffed and changed the subject. I’m considering it progress.
When Bear chuckles, I quickly add, “But that's beside the damn point."
"The point?" He's full-blown laughing now. Asshole. "What could the point possibly be, Mav? You think things are getting serious with a girl who keeps turning you down?" He slaps me on the back just as his laugh grows.
"Well, when you put it like that, I sound like an idiot."
"You are being an idiot," he deadpans. All signs of his previous laughter have now dissipated. "Look, I don't know shit when it comes to women, but I do know that if she tells you she isn't interested, that's typically a clear sign that she isn't. Why waste your time, bro?"
That’s the thing—she hasn’t told me she isn’t interested. She just avoids giving me a real answer.
I scowl at Bear. "You don't get it, asshole. She's different from any woman I've ever met. She's not just some girl, she's the girl. I can feel it in my fucking bones. She's the one for me, dude."
"Damn," he says dryly.
"What?"
"Nothing, it's just shit that you're falling so hard for someone who's giving you bread crumbs in return."
Fuck, that hits a little too hard when said aloud.
I sigh, "Yeah, I know. So what do I do?"
Bear chokes out another laugh, one that holds no amusement. "How the fuck should I know?"
"Bro, you're the one always writing love songs. You're like Mister Poetry. I know damn well you hold all the secrets to a successful love life. Now, tell me. What should I do?"
Something like pain settles on Bear’s face. He shakes his head, annoyed, as he turns back and begins to work again. "You lay it all out there. Be honest with her and yourself. Whatever answer she gives you, let that be final."
I stare at him blankly, blinking a few times in disbelief.
Maybe that’d work with other women, but Izzy’s different.
For some reason, be it fear or insecurity or something else, she says one thing, but thinks and means another.
If she did give me an answer, I have a feeling it’d be the opposite of what she actually wants.
In other words, I can’t lay it all out there.
I can’t force an answer out of her. I have to push gently, working little by little until she freely gives me what I’m looking for—hoping for.
"You're right, you don't know shit," I say, turning back to start working again.
Bear throws his hands up. "I fucking told you I don't, jackass."
"Is this another one of your family's businesses?” Izzy asks as she takes in the restaurant around us. This one is a little classier than the others I've taken her to. It's actually the fanciest one we own.
I want tonight to be special—the night I practice what I fucking preach and push her a little more.
Izzy is dressed beautifully—she always looks stunning. Half of her light blonde hair is pinned back, and the other is curled and draped over her shoulders. She's wearing a short, V-neck, light pink dress with long sleeves that perfectly hugs her toned body.
"Mhm," I murmur, staring at her in fascination. She continues to take in her surroundings.
I love the way she appreciates the world around her. It's beautiful to watch. I could get lost watching her like this.
"There's no dancing in this one," she states, her gaze shifting to mine, looking slightly disappointed.
"Nope."
"Okay, spill it."
"Huh?"
"You've been weird all fucking night. Quiet even. It's weirding me out. Is this the part where you tell me I was right all along, and you're finally ready to chop me up into little pieces now that I've let you into my world? Damn, that would be a bummer."
Okay, so this isn't exactly how I wanted to bring it up, but fuck it. Here goes nothing.
"Have you, though?" I ask softly, just above a whisper.
"Have I what?" Her tone shifts, and confusion is painted all over her face.
I swallow the fucking nerves. "Have you let me into your world? Some days I think you have, other days... I'm not so sure."
She stares at me silently for a bit, her expression hard to decipher. "If you have something real to say, just fucking say it. Why beat around the bush?" Her words come out cold and calculated, as if she's shut down and thrown her defenses up.
I can already sense this isn't going to go like I hoped it would. Again. But this isn’t just about her. I’m in this, too, and no matter how long it takes, I need an answer. Hell, I deserve one.
"I want in, Izzy," I say, matter-of-factly.
"I've let you into my vagina. Does that count?" She stares at me blankly, clearly trying to divert.
I shake my head. "I want into your heart."
"Me too. Good luck with that. That fucker is locked tight. The shop's been closed for years." She stares at me, eyebrows raised as her face remains hard to read.
She's challenging me.
She's scared.
It’s fear.
It's clear to me that when she gets scared, she shuts down. For some reason, commitment scares her. She's boldly independent. I already understand that all too well. I don't know what scares her about moving forward, but I want to know. I want to know everything there is to know about this woman.
I won't be giving up just because of her fears. I'll fight through them with her at her own pace.
"I guess it's a good thing I'm always up for a challenge," I say, keeping my tone direct and even, clearly showing that I'm not backing down from her.
There's a slight curve to her mouth as she rolls her eyes and shakes her head at my words.
She wants this, too.
She can build her walls as high as she'd like to; I'll make a fucking ladder tall enough to climb them. No matter what defenses she'd like to throw my way, I won't be giving up.
She's worth it. Every damn bit of it.
I’ve got all the time in the world.