Page 134 of On The Edge

“Tell me something I don’t know.”

“She went back to the States.”

“As is noted in every fucking post and article about you. Should I assume she’s in the States and you didn’t want her to go?”

I scrub a hand through my hair and sigh. I don’t want to fucking talk about how I failed. Sofia has been in my shit since the night of my birthday, trying to get me to talk about my feelings. Fuck that shit. It’s not going to bring Maddix back.

My sister is . . . her attempts are appreciated, but I deserved what happened to me. Not my mamá’s bullshit—that’s on her. But Maddix was right. If I can’t tell her I love her, then what’s the point of her staying?

But I hate this. Every fucking thing about this. My empty penthouse. The silence when it used to be her humming. The empty bed beside me. The drive through town without her enamored with something trivial that makes me smile.

Fucking everything.

I could beg her to come back, but isn’t that just opening me up to being told she’s leaving again?

Evans isn’t asking any of this. I’m sure he doesn’t give a flying fuck, and yet I find myself saying, “At first, I wanted her nowhere near me. Then I thought she was a fun distraction I could get over when I needed to. But now she’s fucking gone and she’s all I think about.”

“So you love her, then.” A plain, no-nonsense, statement.

“I do.”

“And you’ve told her this and she still left?”

“Not exactly.”

“So she left because you didn’t tell her this?”

“Partially. But . . . fuck, man, how do we . . . how do . . . she can’t give up her life to follow me around pursuing mine.”

“Isn’t that up for her to decide? Women are resilient fucking creatures. Way more than men. Shouldn’t that be up to her to decide what her life should be? Because I’ve met the woman. She’s bright. She was able to work her other job while following you around so who says she can’t do the same with this new job?”

I hang my head and nod. “She could. But—”

“But what?”

“But why would she want to?” I ask.

“Because she loves you.”

“We haven’t discussed your deal in detail yet. We haven’t discussed what happens next. But if there is anything you should have seen about me, it’s loyalty. I stepped up to the plate for you to help you sign that stupid contract. And I’m the one who is so goddamn in love with you, Cruz Navarro, that I love you when you refuse to acknowledge that you love me back.”

“Because she loves me?” I see her standing in front of the television, eyes full of tears, begging me to ask her to stay. Fuck. I wanted her to stay. I want her by my side. “She asked me to ask her to stay.”

“There’s your answer. She did. You do. I mean, fuck, man, if you love her back and can’t live life without her, then do something the fuck about it. You ask her to come back. You chase after her. You let her know.” He pats my shoulder. “Actions, my brother. You need to say the words, but actions too.”

“Fuck.” The word is more for me than him.

“Yeah. I know. But if she’s worth it, you better learn to grovel. Grovel but don’t respond when she does. Grovel so she wants to talk to you but can’t. Grovel until she wants to fly here on the drop of a dime because she can’t wait another second. Women love that shit.”

Grovel?

Fuck . . . here goes another thing I’ve never done before, let alone for a woman.

CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX

Maddix

“What the actual fuck.” I freeze in the doorway of my office and take in the sight.