“Things weren’t supposed to play out like this.”
I smiled sarcastically. “Oh, you mean the threat of being outed as a backstabbing whore of a wife that cheated on her husband wasn’t supposed to be the result of going through with the divorce?”
“Rosenna, you know that’s not what I meant.”
“Please enlighten me then.” I crossed my arms. “Because it seems like you and Gavin want me to ignore all that he’s done and patch things up like it’s my responsibility to forgive and forget.”
“I’m not asking you to forget. I’m asking you to make the right decision.”
“And in your mind, the right decision would be to stay with a man who doesn’t value me instead of the one who does?”
Brent’s jaw ticked slightly, a hint of distaste peeking through his voice.“Garcia doesn’t deserve you.”
“And you think Gavin does?”
Brent’s eyes seemed to darken, another emotion floating around with the anger that showed through them.
“Gavin… doesn’t deserve you either.”
I furrowed my eyebrows. “Well, if you have all the answers, then who deserves me, Brent? Who do I deserve to be with?”
The silence was deafening.
Brent opened and closed his mouth like he was struggling to speak—and immediately I understood exactly what was holding him back. The words he couldn’t bring himself to say were written all over his face, in the tension of his jaw, the way his eyes avoided mine.
And as the silence thickened, I silently wished I’d never been curious as to what his answer would be.
Chapter forty-six
Rosenna
IstaredatBrentsilently, his eyes telling me everything I needed to know.
While he seemed hesitant to my reaction, I felt indifferent. The dots were connecting in my mind, helping me fully analyze and understand why his words and actions always seemed to contradict one another, always seemed to push me from Beckham and closer to Gavin—
“Rosenna… I helped you when you needed me.”
“Regardless, I’ve been there for you, Rosenna. Both Gavin and me.”
“If there’s anything you need, anything at all… remember you can always call me. I may be your lender, but I hope you’ll still consider us friends.”
—closer to Gavin and tohimself.
I shook my head, “Brent… I don’t know what you want me to say.”
His expression hardened, a flicker of something darker crossing his features. “I don’t want you to say anything.” His voice was a little sharper now. “But Ineedyou to see what’s right in front of you, Rosenna.”
“And what exactly is right in front of me?”
“Jesus Christ, Rosenna. Me! Me and every fucking thing I’ve done for you,” Brent fumed, his shoulders tensing up, chest rising and falling as he breathed.
My heart raced. “Brent. I’m in love with Beckham.”
There was a shift in the air… the unspoken tension between us was finally brought to the light. Unfortunately, I wasn’t a fan being dead center in it.
Brent let out a humorless chuckle as he crossed his arms. “You really think Garcia loves you?” I instinctively took one step back as he took one toward me. “You think he fuckingdeserves you? That he would give you what you need?”
“He already has,” I asserted, standing my ground.
