“No, I should be the one to say I’m sorry.”
“Why?”
He sighs and leans forward to rest his elbows on his knees. “You were right. I had no right to comment on your life. Not after I ruined our friendship.”
“I told you it was okay to date Honor. I never should have said it was when it wasn’t.”
Staring at the floor between his boots, he shakes his head and sucks his cheeks in. “I never should have asked. It should’ve never been a thought in my mind. She dumped you, and I saw how heartbroken you were no matter how much you tried tohide it. Then I slept with her before talkin’ to you, and I knew better. Friends don’t date their buddy’s exes. I broke bro code.”
“I appreciate that, but the truth is, I could’ve said no. Part of me thought that if I didn’t deserve her, my friend did. But it hurt to see because we all knew she was usin’ me. I knew it, but I wanted to believe I could change her mind.”
He rubs his face with both hands and groans, and I bite back a smirk. He and Carter are identical twins, but they’ve spent most of their lives trying to distinguish themselves as individuals. Different haircuts. Carter keeps stubble while Everett alternates between clean shaven and burly beard. Carter went blue collar while Everett is white collar. It’s never been difficult for people who really know them to tell them apart.
“We’re quite the pair, aren’t we?” Everett says with a chuckle.
It hits me, and I lean back. I’ve been avoiding public areas since the terrible night Brynlee left. “You and Honor broke up?”
“Yeah.”
“Why?” I can’t imagine her finding anyone better than him. Not to mention the two years they spent together. That has to mean something to her, doesn’t it?
“Are you serious?”
I shake my head, not really sure what he means. “Did she break up with you for not defendin’ her when Brynlee kind of handed her ass to her?”
“I can’t be with someone I never should have been with in the first place. Plus, she’s kind of a ragin’ bitch.”
Well, yeah, that’s not exactly been a secret. “You love her.”
“I don’t know if that’s enough. Not anymore. Besides, I don’t know how much longer I can keep defendin’ her to people because they only see the snotty side of her. She has no real friends.”
“Does she love you?”
“She says she does.”
“Then it’s enough,” I say. “Don’t let her get away because of what other people think. What you think is what matters.”
His leg bounces, and I focus on his knee while I wait for him to respond. He and Carter are exactly alike in this way. If I push, he’ll shut down. I need to wait for him to settle his mind before continuing the conversation.
I can’t get my mind off the fact he at least told her how he feels. Unlike me, the moron sitting in front of a beer can pyramid rather than planning what to do for Christmas with the love of my life.
“I really don’t think love’s enough, Rhett. But I’m not here to talk about my failed relationship with Honor. I want to talk about my failed relationship with you.”
“Here’s where I sit, Everett. Do I think you should have slept with Honor or ever considered datin’ her? No, I don’t. She hurt me, and she used me. As my buddy, she should have been off-limits, but I should have told you that when you had the guts to come to me as a man. That’s on me. I lied and said it was okay when it wasn’t. We’re both in the wrong, and we both share some of the blame for what happened.”
“Where do we go from here?”
I look up at his face staring at me, and I shrug. “We can try bein’ friends again.”
“Even after I pissed you off that last night at the bar?”
“You called me on my shit, and you had every right to. That’s what friends do.”
For the first time in a long time, Everett smiles at me. “I could really use my friend back.”
“I could, too. Especially one who can overlook the short stint I had as a total jackass.”
“Yeah, what was up with that?” he asks. “I’ve never seen you act like that, even when the person actually deserved it.”
