“What?” He was even more confused. “Is she okay?” His chest tightened with fear. Nick’s short nails dug into his palms as he clenched his fists.

“No! That’s what I’m saying. She’s not okay. I’ve been trying to convince her for a month that you’re either really stupid, or you’re not good enough for her. She can’t seem to believe either. So she cries all the time, but then puts on a fake smile when she knows I’m watching. I’m her best friend, and I can’t help her, but you had zero trouble ripping her heart from her chest.”

This wasn’t the first time Nick had heard insults about the way he’d treated Chloe, but it seemed to be the first time he was listening. Maybe because it was coming from such a tiny package or maybe because he missed the woman so damn much. Either way he was trying to make sense of what he was feeling. The tiny woman pushed him again, and Nick almost smiled.

“Would you quit doing that? For such a small thing, you have quite the oomph,” he told her.

That made Dakota’s eyes narrow as she took a threatening step closer to him. He held up his hands. He was really trapped here. It wasn’t like he could defend himself against her. He’d break her in two.

“You have put my best friend through hell. I should tear you apart limb from limb,” she said, moving forward again. All Nick could do was retreat. She kept speaking. “You’ve taken the zeal out of her life, made her a different person. You’re a selfish pig.”

“She lied to me,” he said, the same words having been repeated so many times, he felt like a broken record.

“Get the hell over it,” she yelled.

“Just like that?” he said with sarcasm.

“Yeah, you’re a big boy, put on your . . . your big boy, um . . . shoes on,” she finished.

Nick laughed. He couldn’t help it. The sound shocked him so much he jumped. He hadn’t heard his own laughter in so long he didn’t recognize it.

“What are you laughing at?” she thundered.

“Sorry,” he said, controlling himself. “Don’t you mean put your big boy pants on?”

“You’re seriously correcting me when I’m about to beat you down?” she gasped.

“I’m not too worried about you hurting me,” he told her. She moved forward and he continued to retreat.

He held up his hands. “Look, this isn’t a fair fight. I can’t hit a woman,” he said.

“Scared?” she challenged.

He realized she was serious. That made him have to fight not to laugh again. This was one hell of a tough woman. If he weren’t already in love with Chloe, he might have asked her out on a date.

His face fell at the thought. His muscles felt like they’d gone to jelly, and he was grateful there was a wall behind him when he sagged against it. Dakota stopped her pursuit as she looked at him quizzically.

“Are you having a heart attack?” she asked, not seeming particularly sympathetic if he was.

“No,” he said, the word barely above a whisper.

“Then what is wrong with you?” she asked.

“I . . . I love her,” Nick gasped. He felt as if his heart was pounding out of his chest as he said the words. Dakota glared at him. He looked helplessly at her. She didn’t seem at all understanding that he was having a serious issue. “My chest hurts. I might be having a heart attack after all,” he said, actually frightened.

She rolled her eyes, and he realized he was going to die with Chloe’s mean best friend standing there watching. His legs gave out, and he sank to the floor. That was dangerous in front of this woman. She was going to destroy him now that he was so weak.

“You aren’t having a heart attack, you moron. You’re actually allowing yourself to feel real emotions,” she said with a huff, though all the bluster had rolled away from her as well.

“This is because I said I love her?” he gasped. “Why would anyone want to fall in love if it feels like this?”

“Because it doesn’t hurt when you own up to your feelings and confess them,” she said with another eye roll.

“Are you enjoying this?” he asked, irritated at anyone seeing him this way.

“A little bit,” she admitted, and then she smiled. “You’ve put my best friend through hell, but seeing as you’re going through a lot of hell yourself, that makes me feel better. Besides that, I can see that you’re going to make it up to her.”

The last words came out as more of a threat than anything else. Nick smiled as the tightness in his chest began to ease. Maybe he wasn’t going to die. Maybe he’d get the chance to make things right with Chloe. That would be a miracle at this point.

“What do I do?” he asked.

She looked at him as if she wasn’t quite sure if he was honestly asking. He gave her his best trust-me smile and inwardly crossed his fingers.

“You run to her and beg with everything you have for her to take you back. You get down on your hands and knees and tell her you’ve been a fool, apologize for everything, even the stuff that’s not your fault, and you pray she will forgive you and let you back into her life,” she said.

He stared at her in a moment of confusion.

“I have never in my life gotten down on my knees,” he said before he smiled. “Unless it was for the right reasons.”

Dakota slugged him in the arm and he glared at her. She gave him the look right back, not even a little intimidated.