Page 28 of How To Tackle A Crush
“This just saysdoesn’t rush answers.”
“Yes.”
“Andlistens fully before replying.”
I nod.
“Androom expected ego, got restraint.”
“That felt relevant.”
Ben studies the notebook another second. Then he nods slowly.
“Right,” he mutters, more to himself than to us. “We may need to… manage expectations.”
Before I can ask what that means, he walks off toward Marie-Louise’s office, already flipping pages again like he’s trying to solve a problem.
I watch him go, a slow unease settling in my stomach.
Chloe and AJ both follow him with their eyes.
AJ is the first to speak.
“Well,” he says, “that walk hadI’m about to deliver bad newsenergy.”
Chloe nods. “Yep. That was not a victory march.”
I feel something tighten in my chest.
“I wrote what I could,” I say quietly.
Chloe turns back to me immediately. “Hey. No one said you didn’t.”
AJ tilts his head. “But you might want to start preparing a defence speech.”
“I do not have a defence speech.”
“Then maybe an explanation,” he suggests. “Something along the lines ofI bravely chose a more human angle.”
“I did not choose any angle.”
“That might be your first problem.”
Chloe suppresses a smile. “You may need something slightly more convincing thanI wrote vibes.”
“I did not write vibes.”
AJ raises an eyebrow. “You absolutely wrote vibes.”
Of course I know what I should have written. The football details. The facts Ben actually needs. It isn’t like I don’t understand the difference.
I just… noticed other things first.
A small knot of guilt settles in my chest.
At the same time a stubborn thought pushes back.
Maybe this will teach Marie-Louise not to send me out into the world again.
