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ChapterTwenty-Five
BRYCE
“Come on, man. I’m just asking you to bid on me at the auction. I’ll front the money,” I begged Jake as we headed back to the station from a call. I’d already asked other friends and almost ordered one of the probationary firefighters to do it but figured that would be cheating. Matteo was on vacation, or I’d be begging him, too.
“Yeah right. We get enough funny looks hanging out all the time. All we need is for me to win you at the auction to really set tongues wagging about our bromance.” Jake shook his head. “No way. Besides, Trina is a good-looking woman. Your babies will be the stars of the renaissance fair. Maybe you can learn to play the lyre and have a whole family act.”
I glared at him. “Why am I friends with you again?”
“Because we’re basically brothers by now. Too late to kick me to the curb. I should just hook up with Monica and make it official.”
I grunted. “Yeah right. Don’t even think about it. You better not let Monica know you’re volunteering her up for that.”
He laughed. “Come on. She could do worse.”
“Oh, she has. Did you hear about her last boyfriend? Chad?” He was a piece of work, and Monica deserved so much better. I was so glad when she broke up with him. “I think she’s seeing someone new right now, but she wouldn’t tell me who.”
He shrugged. “I’m sure she’ll tell you when she’s ready.”
I looked at him suspiciously. “You’re not curious?”
He shrugged. “Not really my business. Besides, I haven’t heard anything about her seeing someone.”
“Well, I’ll do some digging about who she’s seeing now. If it’s another winner like Chad, I might have to knock some sense into her.”
“You’re the big bro,” Jake said. There was something in his voice I couldn’t identify, but I shrugged it off.
“At this rate, Monica and I are going to end up never getting married and taking care of each other when we get old.”
He laughed. “Hey, what about me? I thought you and I were going to be the kings of the nursing home together.”
I laughed, but it came out forced. Trina and our fictional renaissance fair babies aside, I had no prospects for a future with someone. Krystal had chosen Hollywood over me, again. If that didn’t hurt a man’s pride, I don’t know what would.
Just once, I had hoped she would choose me. Choose Minden.
We pulled the truck back into the station. What was so bad about Minden that she didn’t want to stay?
If I was in LA, would it make a difference?
I never thought I would consider leaving, but maybe for Krystal I would? But why should I have to be the one to give up everything? Or, even more importantly…why couldn’t we have the conversation together and decide what was best?
I could forgive Krystal for leaving at eighteen. We were young. But that was a long time ago. There were more options now, right? If we were really worth fighting for, wouldn’t she have done it? Or at least tried?
But she hadn’t. And now I was going to end up married off to Trina the blacksmith or with Jake hitting on the nurses at the retirement home. Neither option filled me with joy. I climbed out of the truck and met Jake near the hooks where we hung our gear.
“Yep.” I slapped him on the shoulder. “Just you and me, I guess. Don’t go falling in love with anyone, all right? I need someone to share my misery.”
“Dude…” Jake’s voice was full of warning. “You’ve gotta snap out of it. So, she left. Krystal’s never thought about anyone but herself. It’s time you move on. For real.”
I bristled at his assessment of Krystal. “Don’t talk about her like that. She’s not being selfish. She warned me from the beginning. She was always going back. I pushed her into this…relationship, or whatever it was.”
Jake shrugged. “Whatever you say. I just hate to see you like this.” He pulled off his suspenders and hung them up.
“It’s not her fault. I’m the idiot. She didn’t even want to play along with the whole fake relationship thing.”
Jake whipped around. “The what now?”
Oops.
