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“Then what is it?” he asked, his eyes narrowing. He leaned forward over the center console, like he’d be able to reach me now that I was out of the truck.
“Ask her,” I shot back, closing the door.
Chapter 22
Darius
Ifelt alienated. Irritated. Frustrated beyond belief.
Friday had been an olive branch. Something that I had decided when my inhibitions weren’t in the best place, and I let my heart lead me. The talk on Saturday morning had made me feel like maybe it would be okay. That my heart wasn’t putting me in a position where I was gonna regret letting Cam and Adam talk me into getting drinks.
By Monday, I felt like I was in the dark. I didn’t know what was going on with Grace and where I stood. She left me on read when I tried reaching out. Cam and Adam had been more active in the group chat and didn’t seem to have anything on Grace.
It felt like she was dodging me. I wanted to believe that wasn’t the case, but I didn’t trust it. It didn’t feel safe to. I couldn’t even hit Shay up for answers.
That’s what brought me to the dealership. Probably not the wisest choice, but after my workday was done, I’d spent long enough dwelling on it. I didn’t want to just cut my losses and run, but if I was gonna move forward, I needed to do the right thing.
Especially where Kyle was concerned.
It was late enough in the day where Mr. Blake had called it a day. I didn’t spot Grace either. It was a bad idea, but I had to do something before I drove myself nuts.
The receptionist had already left too. When I walked into the main lobby, it was just one salesman, plus Kyle.
“He’s in the office,” Leon said after he recognized me. “He’s just doing desk work at the moment. If you’re looking for an upgrade, I can help you spot something.” He gave me a hopeful grin.
“My work truck still gets the job done,” I answered as I turned toward the private offices the Blakes used. “It’s got to die before I can justify getting another one.”
“Had to offer,” he said as he waved me back. “We’re stuck trying to double up our numbers to make up for Adam getting fired. You never know who else is on the chopping block.”
That gave me pause. I turned to look at him. Knowing Adam had already replaced the job was one thing, but I figured Kyle would have aired out all the dirty laundry in his rage after he’d walked in on us. If he was using it to get the rest of his employees to work harder in fear of their jobs, that was shitty.
“They rarely fire people without good reason,” I said, hoping to soothe the guy’s fears.
“Adam’s worked here for as long as Kyle. And I get the boss’s kid gets favoritism, but to fire his best friend out of the blue makes you want to cover your ass,” Leon explained. “There’s no telling who’s next if they’re willing to fire the number one salesman.”
“Yeah,” I agreed, not sure what else to say. “I’ll see ya.” I drifted down the hallway to the office. I gave a cautious tap on the door I figured was Kyle’s. It was underhanded to show up at the lot, but I figured this was the easiest way to talk to him without starting a fight.
“Come in.” His voice sounded distracted, which was probably best for this.
When I opened the door, Kyle did a double take. He had been focusing on his phone and only glanced up at me, then his gaze moved back down at his phone before he pushed back from his desk. “What the fuck are you doing here?”
“Just want to talk,” I said, raising both hands, trying to placate him. “Not here to start shit.”
“Shit already hit the fan,” he said warily. “It’s a bit too fucking late to come here and beg for forgiveness.”
“I didn’t intend to beg,” I said uneasily. “I’m willing to offer an apology, but you can take it or leave it.” I shook my head. “It’s not really something that will make or break the situation for me.”
Kyle’s eyes narrowed. “What happened? You realized what a bitch she is and now you’re trying to salvage our friendship?” He sat down heavily in the desk chair, causing it to squeak in protest. He directed his attention to the computer in front of him. “You can fuck off. I’m busy.”
Now I could see why Grace did this. “She has her moments, but I wouldn’t call her a bitch,” I said as I came to stand behind the chair in front of his desk. I put my hands on the backrest and considered him. “I know I wouldn’t call Shay a bitch, especially in front of people that could relay that information back to her. That’s just asking for trouble.”
“Shay and Grace are nothing alike,” he said, barely offering me a glance. “Shay never gave you grief.”
“That’s bullshit and you know it,” I said as I leaned against the chair. “You know why she did all this? I get why your feelings are caught up in it,” I continued, rolling a shoulder. I wasn’t comfortable with this conversation, but it was something that needed to be said. “But I need you to understand, cutting all of us out is the wrong idea.”
“Really?” Kyle asked, leaning back in his chair. He stopped bothering to pretend to work. “And what would you do if I told you I fucked your sister?” He tilted his head, eyeing me hard. “What if you walked in on us in the middle of it?”
“I’d be pissed, but assuming you were gonna treat her right,” I began uneasily, “what could I do? Shay is her own person. She chooses who to be with. Shay isn’t promiscuous. She wears her heart on her sleeve. If she was gonna be with you, it would be because she cared about you.” I looked at him hard. “This would be with the understanding that you’re not gonna be shoving my sister around like you do yours.”
