The Bookworm's Guide to Faking It by Emma Hart is coming December 1st!

 

📚⚾The Bookworm's Guide to Faking It by Emma Hart is coming December 1st!📚⚾

“Holley, listen to me. That was years ago. I’m sorry I hurt you, but—”

“Okay, if you’re going to apologize for hurting someone, you don’t follow it up with the word ‘but.’” I folded my arms across my chest. “There is no ‘but’ that could ever follow that sentence, because the second you say that I know you’re about to do one of two things. Say you didn’t mean to, which negates your apology entirely, or you’re about to tell me why it’s my fault, therefore absolving you of all responsibility just to make yourself feel better because you know you did a shitty thing.”

He said nothing.

“So no, you’re not sorry you hurt me. Try again.”

“I am sorry I hurt you.” The shadow that passed over his eyes was hard to deny. “You were my best friend, Holley. Hurting you wasn’t anything I ever wanted to do.”

I made another grunt-like noise. “Well, you did. And it’s done. We’ve moved on and grown up.”

“Clearly not, or we wouldn’t be having this conversation.” He leaned forward a little. “What do you want me to do? Take out a front-page ad telling you how sorry I am?”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

“Billboard in Times Square?”

“Stop—you can do that?” My eyebrows shot up, before I shook my head and threw away that thought. “Stop it,” I said, going back to my original train of thought. “It’s fine. Stuff happens and people change. We changed, Sebastian, and that’s it. Just because we were friends then doesn’t mean we need to be now.”

“What if I want to be?”

“I don’t want to be.” I put the order book down on the register and got up off the stool with every intention of opening the door and seeing him out, but he had other ideas.

He stepped out and blocked my way, keeping me from going past him. He peered down at me with those dangerously blue eyes and almost pouted. “Let me make it up to you.”

“I just said no,” I said firmly, walking around him.

Sebastian’s hand wrapped around my upper arm gently, just enough to make me stop. “Holley—”

The act of his skin touching mine sent goosebumps pimpling down the back of my neck. It was an act that was unwelcome because all it did was serve to remind me that, despite my blustering, I was extremely attracted to Sebastian.

And I didn’t want to be attracted to Sebastian.

My nostrils flared as I turned my head to look up at him. “If you don’t remove your hand from my arm, I’m going to rip it off so hard I’ll tear your rotator cuff all over again.”

His lips pulled to one side in a smirk that annoyed the shit out of me. “Look at that. You have been keeping up with me.”

Amazon US → https://amzn.to/3eFnxlb
Amazon UK → https://amzn.to/3dqG1UT
Apple Books → https://emmahart.pub/TBGTFIapple
Nook → https://emmahart.pub/TBGTFInook
Kobo → https://emmahart.pub/TBGTFIkobo
Goodreads → https://emmahart.pub/tbgtfi-GR