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I fell back in my chair. Fuck. She’d been watching me with them. I didn’t do it to get to her. I didn’t think she gave a shit. I had been doing it to keep me from touching her like a crazed man.
“You keep that good guy friend shit up, and she’ll spread those pretty legs for you, Sax,” Levi said while grinning at me.
“Keep it up, Levi, and I’m gonna get up from here. I’m not a fucking kid anymore. I can take your ass, old man,” I warned him. “And that stupid fucking beard.”
“Warn me first. I want to get my popcorn ready,” Kye drawled.
“Hey, don’t diss my beard. The bitches love the feel of this between their legs. Should have grown one years ago,” Levi replied, more amused than anything.
“Whatever. You’re both assholes.” I scowled, then turned to Sax. “I’ll go to her work and stay with her today.”
Sax shook his head. “No, you won’t. And if you do, I’m still going. Garrett gave me orders, and I’ll do what I was told.”
“Fuck,” I growled. “I swear to God, you’d better not fuck her.” I closed my eyes again. My head was pounding.
“What, today? If you think there is even a chance Gypsi would do that, then you really don’t know anything about her. She’s not a Gretchen or Eliza.”
I didn’t open my eyes to look at Sax. I was too fucking pissed that he knew things I didn’t. That he could be her friend when I struggled with keeping her in a friend zone. But, fuck, she had obviously been struggling too. She wasn’t immune to me like she had led me to believe.
What the fuck did I do with that though? Nothing had changed. Our parents were still dating. That made it complicated. And if she didn’t fuck for fun, then she required a relationship. I wasn’t in the market for that. Never would be. Goddammit, why did she have to make this hard?
“You saying she’s a relationship kinda girl?” I asked sourly.
“Yep. That’s exactly what I’m saying,” Sax replied.
He sure knew how to throw ice water on my dirty daydreams. Fuck.
“I want to know where she’s lived, how long she’s been in Ocala, her favorite movie, dessert, all that shit. Tell me.”
“What are you gonna do with it? Even if your parents weren’t dating, you don’t want what she wants. You would only hurt her. Hell, I think you hurt her without meaning to last night.”
I clenched my teeth and opened my eyes to glare at my best friend. Why the fuck would he tell me that? I hadn’t needed to know I’d hurt her. That fucking made me feel bad. It made my chest ache, and I didn’t like it.
“Tell me about Gypsi,” I ordered angrily.
Sax sighed. “Fine. They lived in Miami for a year and moved to Ocala three weeks ago. Ocala was a stopping point on their way north. She loves anything peanut butter and chocolate. She loves watching the sunset. Favorite movie is The Godfather—and, yes, I almost spit my damn whiskey all over her when she told me that one.”
I sat up, grinning. “She seriously said that?”
He nodded. “Hard to keep from laughing, too, but I managed to keep a straight face. She loves pink. Her birthday is August 31.”
Sax had taken the time to get to know those things and remembered them. He’d paid attention to her. He hadn’t mingled and found a hookup. Things he normally did at events like that. He was a fucking good guy. He was a relationship guy. There was no danger of his dad dating her mom. He was fucking perfect for her. The kind of guy she deserved.
I ran a hand over my face in frustration. That was why he was the hero and I was the villain. Because I wasn’t going to let him fucking have her.
Nine
Gypsi
It had cost me fourteen dollars for an Uber to the airport, eighty-three dollars for the flight, and sixty-two dollars for the Uber ride from the airport in Gainesville to the coffee shop. One hundred fifty-nine dollars I shouldn’t have spent. But I’d had to get out of that suite. That hotel. And out of Kentucky. I’d stayed awake all night, staring at the door. Trying to figure out how Tyde had gotten in there. If he had. Wanting another explanation, but unable to come up with one.
I finished the cappuccino my current customer wanted and took her ham and cheese melt from the microwave, then handed them to her. It had been busy since I’d arrived. Leaving Kentucky early put me here for the last half of the morning shift, and since they were so busy, my boss had told me to clock in. I figured the money would help with what I’d spent to get back here.
