AllFreeNovel
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“Because I like her, and this is going to gut her. I mean, the client she stole from me left her and came back to me. I had a client go to her and she figured out that I’d sent them her way. She’s two properties behind me in sales, and Greg Throttle pulled the project out from under her.” I start on my next drink.
“When you say like…?” Enzo asks.
Dom remains quiet.
“I like spending time with her,” I say, looking into the bottom of my glass.
“What are you guys to one another? You say no labels and all that bullshit, but you’re always together. You’re spending all weekend in the same bed. Be honest with us.” When our new waitress places Dom’s meal in front of him, Dom picks up a fork and dives into his mac and cheese.
They wait while my mind runs over the last few weeks. “It feels a lot like she’s my good friend and we have sex.”
“Come on!” Enzo rolls his eyes, and the table next to us glances over.
“Fine. She’s my girlfriend. Although she doesn’t want to classify it that way.”
“And that word scares you?” Enzo asks.
It was the reason I called him in the first place, wasn’t it? I figured my older brother who just went through this could weed through all the bullshit for me. Direct me to the clearing so I could pass through without any pain.
“Of course it scares me.”
“Are we talking Kami again? That girl was a bitch from the start. That’s why you’ve been a manwhore your entire adult life?” Dom manages to get a full sentence out between his enormous bites of food.
“No. Yes. She fucked me over, but with Bella, it’s different. I know we were supposed to just have a summer of fun, but with all the shit that’s happening, I want to be there for her. Help her through this. But how can I when I feel like I’m the reason she’s in this situation to begin with? Plus, Greg Throttle said her mom told him why she left the traditional brokerage and went FSBO, said it’s not a huge secret, but she’s never shared it with me, even after all the times I’ve pried. Obviously, she doesn’t see me as long-term if she doesn’t trust me enough to talk about it.”
They both remain quiet, processing what I’m saying.
“And I told her about Kami right after we first slept together. I told her how fucked up I was because of it.”
Matching shit-eating grins rise on my brothers’ dumbass faces.
“Shit. I never thought I’d see it,” Enzo says.
Dom nods. “Out of all of us, I pegged you last.”
“What?” I ask.
They share a look and turn back to me.
“You love her,” Enzo says. “Welcome to the club. You’re screwed.” He leans over and pats me on the back. The waitress sets his goat cheese pizza in front of him and he looks at her. “Thanks. Can I also order a club sandwich with fresh fruit to go? No mayo.”
The waitress nods and leaves.
“How does it feel?” Enzo gloats.
“Weird and uncomfortable.” I twirl my glass in my hand.
“But…?” he keeps prying.
“I kind of like it. That is, if she loves me back.” I down the rest of my drink. I could use the liquid courage with this revelation that my happiness is now in the hands of another. “What about the reason why she went FSBO? Do I demand she tell me?”
“Hell no. Even I know that’s stupid.” Dom wipes his mouth with his napkin and pushes away his plate. To my surprise, he didn’t finish his meal.
I pick up my own fork and eat off his dish because now that I’ve identified that weird feeling in my stomach, I’m starving.
“Wait it out. Give her some time. You’ve just realized your feelings and we had to tell you what they were. I’m sure once she trusts you and feels safe to tell you, she will,” Enzo says.
“When did you become the Yoda of love?” I ask, piling more mac and cheese into my mouth. I see why Dom loves it so much.
