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“I wish it could be.”
It could, if you let it.
“It’s okay.” She turned to climb in, hoping he wouldn’t see the tears glistening in her eyes.
She had fallen in love with Bently Evans. The man had his faults, but leading her on and lying so he could take advantage of her was not one of them. Of course, when she finally found an honest man she could trust, he’d be incapable of loving her back. Why did life have to be so unfair?
Chapter 27
Bently
Sighing, Bently opened the door to The Stardust Café. Remy was busy helping a customer ahead of him, but she flashed him a smile.
He scanned the room—a habit—searching for potential threats and gauging where the exits were. For the safety of himself and those he loved, he’d had to maintain a constant alertness his whole life. There was no way to turn it off or slow the adrenaline surging through his blood stream. It left him fatigued and on edge.
His head pounded. The few drinks he’d had last night hadn’t helped. He’d been so close to taking what didn’t belong to him that evening with Belle two weeks ago. Even in a club crowded with people, she’d been so responsive to his touch. The woman would be a fucking masterpiece to watch fall apart. The way her tiny body ground against him. The way she tasted when those succulent lips locked with his. He’d forgotten anything else existed outside Belle. His sole focus had been her. She had a way of making him forget his place.
“Bent, what can I get y—you look like crap. Are you okay?” Remy asked, bringing him back to the present where fantasies died and Belle could only ever be a friend.
“Thanks for the compliment, beautiful.”
She shrugged. “Are you okay?”
“Large coffee. You know what, you better make it two.” He pulled out his wallet.
“Should I add a shot of hazelnut to one of them?” she teased.
“No,” he grumbled.
She filled two cups and pushed a paper bag across the counter. “You need to get that blood sugar up, mister grumpy pants. Cookies are on the house, of course. Seven fifty for the coffee.”
He handed her a ten-dollar bill. She entered it in the cash register as he sipped from the first paper cup. His sister-in-law might be nosy, but she had a gift straight from the caffeine gods for making the best coffee around.
“Thanksgiving is coming up in a couple weeks,” she said.
“Mm-hmm.” Like he didn’t know. It happened every year.
“Well, I was just thinking that Belle and TJ don’t have any other family around here. Maybe you should invite them to ours.” Remy wiped down the counter.
Ulterior motives or not, Remy was right. Belle and TJ would be alone. Unless they’d made plans with one of her friends from the hospital. He could ask TJ tonight at the courts. In spite of avoiding Belle like the plague, he’d kept up with her brother, though avoided one-on-ones in favor of a lighter hoops regime.
“I was going to ask her, but I haven’t seen her in the last couple weeks,” Remy added.
Maybe Belle was avoiding him too. His stomach hardened. He’d seen the hurt in her eyes before she’d turned away and climbed into his truck. It had been like a spear thrown through his heart. It was better they ended whatever was between them now before he really did her damage.
You good-for-nothing piece of shit. You’re nothing! You’ll never amount to anything.
“Earth to Bently.” Remy’s eyebrows drew together.
“Sorry. I uh—I’ll see if they don’t already have plans. I guess make me one of those coffees she likes too.”
Remy smiled like the cat that ate the canary. “My pleasure.”
Bently drank his java. He needed to act like nothing had changed and they were still just friends. Even if everything inside him screamed liar! But the real question was, was he lying to Belle or himself?
He closed his eyes. Everything was so mixed up inside. What he should do and what he wanted to do were at war. But which would win in the end?
***
