“Why are you so eager to let me go?”
With her hand on the doorknob, she didn’t even look back when she said, “I never had you, remember, it was all pretend.”
My chest squeezed and I felt like an asshole. I had no words. The door closed behind her and I stayed put.
The locker room was eerily quiet when I got in. Carlos approached and for some reason, the urge to deck him had my knuckles itching to be used. He saddled up next to me and held out his hand. “Well, it looks like you won.”
“Won?”
“The bet,” he grumbled, reaching for his beer. “Time is up as of today and after last night’s uh…” He paused and for a split moment, a blush creeped across his face. “Whatever that was. I guess it’s safe to say you won.”
There was a round of cheers. Except for me. I sat stunned. The last few weeks were a blur and I hadn’t even realized how much time had lapsed. It was over. I leaned back in my chair, taking my beer with me.
“Man, I thought you’d be gloating. Throwing it in my face how you pulled it together and found love.”
Love.
That one word had me seeing double. Carlos dropped his key on the table. It was a simple silver keychain with red dice on it and attached was the key to his fully restored 1970s Aston Martin Vantage. That car was his pride and joy. My eyes floated from the table up to his.
“Holy shit,” I stuttered. Surprised that he upheld his end of the bargain.
“Tell me about it,” he mumbled, shaking his head. “To be honest, I never thought I’d see you in love.”
There it was again.Love. I swallowed the large lump in my throat.
“Love?” I croaked.
“Shit, man. I’ve never seen you so damn giddy.” Kev smacked me on the back. Ironically, it helped push the air back into my lungs.
“The bet was to make her fall for you,” Milos stated, as if I needed a reminder.
I shook my head. At a loss for words. Sure, April and I liked each other. We had great conversations, I was at ease with her, I didn’t need to be someone I wasn’t. And the sex, well let’s just say, it was untouchable compared to the others. But that didn’t equate to love. This was all an arrangement. One we happened to be very good at. This wasn’t supposed to be real. I was helping her with her family, although that was over a while ago, and I had proven my bet, so why was I still doing this? Maybe it was my fault I led her on. I thought we had both been clear. This was an illusion, all smoke and mirrors, for each of us to win something.
“Dude, the girl showed up in a trench coat,” Jake added, as if he was reading the doubt skimming across my mind.
“If that ain’t love, I dunno what is,” Carlos chimed in, finishing Jake’s message. “A bet is a bet. You came through.” He stared at me, long and hard. His gaze was burning into my soul, as if he was waiting for me to confess something. Guilt formed a knot in my stomach.
“You have 48 hours with the car and you better bring it back in the mint condition it is in.”
My mouth fell open.Wow. I was a douche bag.I handed the keys back and walked out. I needed to find April.
I searched the clubhouse for an hour, only to find out she’d left early for an appointment. I had called her phone, but it went to voicemail and no amount of texts were going to make her call me back.
Ugh, I did the one thing I never thought I would.I stalked her.Waiting outside her apartment door until she got home. Unfortunately, she was not alone. Nora was with her and she looked like she was about to kick me square in the nuts.
“What do you want?”
“To talk to April?”
“Nope.” Nora sneered, waltzing past me to unlock the door I was blocking. April sighed and stared at me, but didn’t say anything.
“April, I didn’t expect things to go that way.”
“You didn’t? You thought you could casually bring it up and then what, continue to fuck me?”
Her words were laced with sarcasm. “No.”
“Then what?” She folded her arms over her chest.
