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Ivy rolls her eyes and shakes her head. “Okay, but I thought Mav threatening you was the reason you didn’t leave with Colton.”
“It was.” I take a sip of my wine and lean back in my seat. “At first, anyway. But then I kept thinking about how Colton was letting her hang all over him to make my brother believe his plan was working. It was that important to him to hide us from Maverick, and it made me think about what he was doing the first time we were together. I mean, I always assumed there were other girls, but seeing him with her just confirmed it for me I guess.”
Tatum cringes. “Actually, that part may be my fault.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, he wanted to go find you as soon as I told him you’d been staying at your parents’ house. I guess he realized he made a mistake not talking to you. But then, Mav came back with Olivia and he was stuck. If he tried to leave, she would have insisted on going with him. I told him to please Maverick for a couple hours by talking to Liv, and then sneak out after Roman showed up.”
Her explanation provides a little bit of relief, knowing it wasn’t all his idea, but still – he let it go too far. “You told him to talk to her, not make it look like they were together. I mean, he can’t handle seeing me in the same room as Parker. Can you imagine the fit he would throw if he saw his hands on me?”
They both snicker. “Point made.” Ivy says. “But if you chose Colton, how did you end up back with Parker? If you’re only staying with him because you don’t want to be alone, is that really fair?”
“I was going to end things with him. I swear, I was, but when we met at the restaurant, I felt warm again.” I shrug. “He loves me and all he wants is to make me happy. With him, I never need to worry about other women, pissed off brothers, or even getting my heart broken again. Everything’s so simple and easy.”
Tatum makes a face but doesn’t say anything. Ivy, however, forgets how to filter herself. “So that’s it?! You’re going to marry Parker just because you’re too afraid to take a risk?! Mac, you love Colton. You have for as long as I can remember.”
I keep my eyes trained on the tablecloth in front of me. “Sometimes, the love of your life isn’t what’s best for you after all.”
COLTON
The sound of pounding on the door pulls me from my drunken slumber. I pull the pillow over my head, but it’s no use. I’d like to tell whoever it is to fuck off, but it could be the housekeeper and my mother taught me manners. When the banging doesn’t stop, I get up and walk over to the door.
“I’m coming, I’m coming.” I open it only to find Rome standing there. “Oh, it’s just you.”
Attempting to shut
the door in his face, he shoves his boot in the way and forces himself into the room. “Not today, asshole.”
He walks over to the window and pulls the blinds open. The amount of light that fills the room causes a shooting pain to ricochet in my head. I wince and use my arm to shield my eyes.
“Do you mind?!”
“No.” He snaps back. “What the fuck are you doing, Colton? Do you really think this is what McKenna wants for you?!”
“Don’t! You don’t get to say her name to me! No one does!”
Two weeks ago, when I stood there vulnerable as hell and waiting for her to come with me, I finally felt what she did four years ago. A part of me knew the only reason she stayed was because of Maverick, but it didn’t make the pain any less excruciating. When faced with the same decision I was, Maverick or our relationship, she chose Maverick. I couldn’t necessarily blame her for it. After all, I had done the same thing.
I stayed on the boat that night, hoping she’d come find me, but she never showed. The next morning, I stopped at the liquor store and then checked into the motel. Thanks to my good friend Jack Daniels, it didn’t take long to numb the pain. Thoughts of her still plagued my mind, but the emptiness in my chest ached a little less. I don’t know how she got through feeling like this while staying sober. If I ever talk to her again, I’m sure that’s something I’ll ask.
I’ve had a few people check on me, like Tatum and Rome. Even Ivy has called a couple times, but the only thing I have from the person who matters is a text message.
I’m sorry.
She sent it two days after everything was shot to hell. I didn’t know what to say, and still don’t, so I never answered. Any time I’ve asked Tatum how she is, she dodges the question. That could mean one of two things – she’s just as broken as I am, or she’s back with Parker. I don’t have the balls to ask which it is.
“You’ve got to get back to work.” Rome tells me. “Two weeks is long enough to wallow in self-pity. You have clients, and a business to run.”
I roll my eyes and grab the bottle of Jack from the mini-fridge. “You can’t fucking tell me what to do. I’m your boss!”
He gets up, ripping the bottle from my hands. “I’m your right-hand man, douchebag. Unless you want to ruin everything that you’ve worked so hard to build, you need to get your ass back to work, sober.”
“Fuck off. I could fire you.”
He goes to say something, but then looks down at his phone. His expression changes. “Take a shower and get dressed. You smell like a distillery.”
I could fight him on it, tell him to get the fuck out and not come back, but my words would just be wasted breaths. I know that if I push him too far, he’ll pick me up and throw me into the shower, clothes on and all. So, instead of making things harder on myself, I grumble a final ‘screw you’ and head to the bathroom.
