Brian laughed. “You have perfect timing, friend. We were just talking about you.”
“I’m not your friend.” Nate shoved his hands in his pockets. “So, why don’t you take a step away from her before things get uglier?”
He sighed heavily. “Please. You’re the one who had her smear my name; now you want to come to her defense and play hero?”
“Shifting the blame onto someone else, as always.” Nate shook his head. “For years, I defended you. When a few people tried to warn me, I ignored them. I made excuses for you. Told them they were wrong.”
Brian rolled his eyes. “I made a lot of careers, Nate.”
“You did. You also screwed a lot of people over.”
Brian folded his arms. “You never would have gotten as far as you did without me.”
The balls on him to try to take credit for Nate’s success was comical.
“You might have been the one who negotiated my contracts and secured my endorsement deals, but I’m the one who earned them. I’m sick and tired of you trying to take the credit for all that I’ve achieved. The last time I checked, I was the one on the field throwing the ball, not you. You act like I wouldn’t be here without you, but the truth is, you got rich because of my career, not the other way around. So, don’t confuse being a part of my success with being responsible for it.”
Brian laughed, but Nate kept going. I’d never seen him quite like this. Not even during tense press conferences or when he lost his cool on the field. You could tell how much effort he was putting into keeping his emotions contained.
His shoulders were ridged as he stepped closer. “You spent years acting like you were invincible. Did you honestly believe that the shit you pulled with me, other players, and all the women wouldn’t catch up to you?”
Brian’s face twisted, like he was trying to gain whatever sense of control he could, but Nate was no longer interested in giving it to him. “People lie all the time. You should know that better than anybody.”
I couldn’t believe he was still standing here trying to flip the story, playing the part of the injured victim when he was the one who caused this conflict.
Nate swallowed thickly. “I sure do. Just like I know there are consequences. The difference between you and me is that I never forget the people who helped me. You are the one who forgets who made you successful in the first place.”
“Listen…” Brian pushed away from my cubicle.
Nate stepped forward, grabbing Brian by the shirt. “No. You are going to listen for once. You did the job I paid you to do. This constant reminder that you think I owe you something stops today.”
I glanced briefly at Sarah and Daphene, who were both smirking.
“You are making a big mistake.” Brian gritted his teeth, his face turning red with anger.
Nate tightened his hold and lowered his voice. “The only mistake I made was trusting you. I didn’t realize how greedy you’d become. The saddest part is, I don’t think you even realize how far you’ve fallen. Somewhere along the way, money and power became more important to you. And you know the sad part? You had everything. You had clients who trusted you. Friends who defended you and a family who adored you. You failed everybody, Brian, including yourself.”
Brian’s expression hardened, finally catching on to the power shift in their dynamic. Everyone in the office could feel it. He was obviously more rattled than he was letting on. “Do you honestly believe this ends well for both of you?”
Nate kept his eyes on Brian. “I know it does. Too bad I can’t say the same for you.”
A couple of heads turned as security came rushing through the room.
Nate shoved him back. For the first time since this whole confrontation began, Brian looked genuinely shaken.
“Sir, we are going to need you to come with us.” Darryl, head of security, gestured toward the exit.
“You are going to regret this,” Brian snapped and adjusted his coat. “This isn’t over.” He took one last look between us and hesitated long enough to make a point before spinning on his heels and storming out.
The tension in my shoulders dropped slightly. Nate stayed where he was until Brian disappeared through the front door. Once he was out of view, he reached for me without hesitation. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine.”
He studied me for a minute, looking like he didn’t believe that, but thankfully didn’t push it.
Behind us, I heard Daphene say, “Well, that was fun.” She patted Nate on the arm and started walking away. “But let’s try not to make this a weekly event. They don’t pay me enough for all this drama.”
A few people laughed, and I felt something loosen in my chest.
