Irresistible Bachelors: Books 1-5 by Landish, Lauren (bts books to read TXT) 📕

“Yo, dude,” Caleb says as we drop through the clouds and I can see the airport. “I’m sorry for acting that way back there, I shouldn’t have just ran off. I wish I would’ve told Wesley that and shook his hand before leaving. I feel bad about that. It was supposed to be business, but it did kind of feel like a vacation, and I had a good time . . . I just couldn’t understand. I didn’t know why you would give up after all of that.”

“I—” I begin to say, but Caleb cuts me off.

“Hang on, let me finish. I think I know how you feel. I could see it in your eyes, and the entire time back, I’ve been watching you. I know you tilted Wes in her direction.”

I stare at him. I figured he knew as much. I just don’t know how to respond. I kind of put him through it all and may have cost him a big raise. Oliver surely would’ve rewarded him, even if he didn’t say it. “How?”

Caleb shrugs. “You're in love. You’d do anything for her, and in reality, I can’t blame you. I’d probably have done the same thing if I were in your position. I was wrong to react the way I did. I was a poor sport and I wish I could take it back. You may have swayed him in their direction at the very end, but you tried your damndest the rest of the time.”

Relief sweeps through me. Caleb’s been my friend for over a decade now, and I’m glad to know this isn’t going to change anything.

“No hard feelings?” he asks, sticking a hand out to me.

I take it before we smack hands the way we used to, back when we thought Arnold Schwarzenegger movies were the most awesome things ever. “No hard feelings.”

Caleb raises an eyebrow. “How do you think Oliver’s gonna take it?”

“Dick,” I growl. “You just had to remind me about that, huh? No, but seriously, it might be a lost opportunity financially, but Hannah is kind of like extended family. He’s not gonna get his panties in a bunch. At least I hope.”

He chuckles. “Fuck, I’m gonna miss that place. Wes and his damn speeches. Even the bird.”

I laugh. “Well, we’ll all miss things.” Hannah most of all, I think to myself, my heart aching.

Fuck, I hope she calls. But I probably ruined my small chance like I always do. I should have said more before I left.

I’m still haunted by the look that was in Hannah’s eyes, like she was trapped. And I’m scared my biggest regret is going to be that I didn’t do enough for her.

We land and get our bags. Outside, Oli is waiting for us at the pickup area with a smile on his face.

“Hey, boys, how was your trip?”

Caleb looks at me, uncertain. He’s gonna let me take the lead on this. “Awesome,” I say with the fakest enthusiasm I can muster, my stomach twisting with dread even after I just told Caleb that Oliver wouldn’t completely flip his shit. I haven’t answered or responded to Oliver’s calls in the past two days. He’s probably gotten the point, but I didn’t have the guts to tell him over the phone what was going on. I wanted to tell him face to face.

Oliver waves us to put our luggage in the back of his SUV. “Come on, get inside. Y’all must be starving, and it’s a long ride back home. We can stop on the way.”

We load up, and he takes us away from the airport and we hit up a burger joint. He doesn’t say anything about the contract on the way over. I’m sure he knows. It’s just a matter of me saying it.

As soon as we’re seated, he sits back, looking at the two of us. “Don’t be so quiet, you two. Spit it out. Tell me everything.”

I relax a little and tell him all about Wes and his parrot, all the funny stuff, all the crazy shit we did over the time we were there. I gave him a complete rundown on all of the challenges, and how Wes seemed to be interested in our character, not necessarily who won. Oli listens, laughing in the right places before sipping his Pepsi and asking, “So, what’s the verdict?”

Finally, the question comes. Caleb sputters and gets up to refill his own drink at the dispenser while my mouth goes dry. As he leaves, he gives me a small nod. I understand, he’s giving me some privacy. “What’s going on?”

Taking a deep breath, I tell him everything, dread growing by the second. But by the time I’m done, I feel like a ton has been lifted off my shoulders. “I’m so sorry, man. I know how much this meant to you.”

He sits quietly as Caleb comes back, eyeing me as he sets his soda down. The whole time, Oliver just stares at me. I’m starting to think I might be wrong. I willfully lost. That’s a giant ‘fuck you’ if there was one. He probably thinks I’m a hopeless waste of his time, my carelessness once again costing him.

“What are you going to do now?” he asks quietly, surprising me after the silence. He looks . . . calm.

“I don’t know,” I say uneasily, not able to read his face and half-expecting him to jump across the table and drag me out the door to curb stomp my ass. “What’s the next property you want me to look at?” A part of me feels honor-bound to find the next assignment and deliver for him since I screwed him over. “I promise you, no more conspiring with the competition.”

He shakes his head. "No, that’s not what I’m talking about. This is more important than that. What about Hannah? You love her, don't you?"

I see the compassion in his eyes. He understands what I’m going through.

“I don’t know,” I