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“What gives with you today? You’re in a shitty mood. Did you have a fight with Crystal?” Trent asked.
Mac stood abruptly and paced around the room. His agitation puzzled Trent. It worried him that Mac was so obviously bothered. He’d thought Mac and Crystal had been getting along great—unlike the way he’d bungled everything with her. But if that was the case, then what was up Mac’s craw today?
“Okay, spit it out. What is it you aren’t telling me?” The instant Mac turned around, Trent knew he’d hit a nerve. There was something Mac was not sharing.
“What the hell is going on?” Trent prompted further.
Mac came back to the table and sat, then shoved his fingers through his hair. He’d never seen his good-natured friend so stressed. His own words to Crystal came back to haunt him. Damn, he hoped they hadn’t both fucked up with her. Wouldn’t that just be a kick in the teeth?
“I told her I love her,” Mac muttered as he stared at the tabletop.
Trent was dumbfounded as to why that would put Mac in a foul mood. “That’s great, right?”
“She never said it back. Now I feel like an idiot.” He paused then added, “I mean, I know she cares, but that asshole of an ex-husband of hers has really done a number on her. I’m worried she may never let herself be that vulnerable again.”
Trent shot to his feet, every muscle in his body pumped and ready for a fight. “That bastard deserves to bleed for the way he treated Crystal.”
“You’ll get no arguments from me.” Mac shook his head. “He’s called her a couple of times, did you know that? It’s really pissing me off.”
“He showed up at Mollie’s apartment one day, too. If I hadn’t been stopping by, Crystal would’ve been alone with him.” Trent balled his fists at his sides, wishing he’d knocked some sense into the guy when he’d had the chance. “Exactly when were the phone calls?” When Mac told him the dates, Trent cursed. “That means he’s contacted her even after I sent him away. Persistent bastard, isn’t he?”
“Yeah. It worries me. I don’t think he’s just going to disappear,” Mac answered.
Trent willed himself to stay calm. Nothing would happen to Crystal. It couldn’t. “We need to keep an eye on her.”
Mac’s jaw went rigid, and his eyes grew cold. “I’m not letting him within spitting distance of Crystal. Hell, now I’m thankful she didn’t find an apartment yet. At least she’s not alone at night.”
“I may have a minor problem keeping an eye on Crystal.”
Mac frowned. “Why?”
“She’s pissed at me,” he grumbled.
“What the hell did you do?” Mac asked as he glared at him.
Trent threw up his hands in surrender. “Look, I love Crystal, too. I’d make her my wife if I could.”
Mac’s eyes lit with amusement. “Since you tend to bury your emotions under a ton of concrete on a good day, I take it she doesn’t know how you feel, am I right?”
“Pretty much,” Trent admitted, wishing he could undo all the damage he’d done between him and Crystal. “Right now she would rather I stick my head in the nearest toilet.”
“Damn, what’d you do?”
“I asked her to live with me.”
“I’m not following you. What is so wrong in that? A lot of couples live together.”
“Yeah, but when I did it, I offered her money. Offered to pay her expenses and shit.”
Mac’s eyes shot wide. “Like a mistress? Shit, Trent, it’s a wonder you can still walk!”
“I didn’t mean for it to come out like that. She was leaving and I panicked.”
Mac arched a brow at him. “Gee, you think?”
“I want her back,” he said, his voice rough with emotion. “She’s everything I could ever want in a woman. I can’t imagine my life without her.”
“I know the feeling, but what if she decides she doesn’t want either one of us?”
