Who am I kidding though? I was never using him to distract myself. I did it because I liked what he did to me. Ilikehim.
“What are you—oh.” Pen tracks my field of vision and looks a little too smug when she grins. “He deserved that.”
Does she want them back together? I’m going to throw up.
“Who are you talking about?” Vi scans the bar with a puzzled expression.
“Bryson,” she says with disdain. “Danny warned him.”
“Wait, Josie’s ex? What happened?” Vi asks a little too eagerly while I hope that I get drunk fast enough, I don’t hear. “Why did Danny warn him? What did he warn him about?”
Her curious eyes bounce between Pen and me, but I shrug indifferently, at least I hope I do.
“You don’t know?” Pen asks me.
“About Daniel punching Bryson over Amanda? Yeah, I?—”
She scoffs but her brows arc in surprise, then flit to the pool tables before she looks at me. “No, he didn’t punch Bryson over Amanda. This was over you. I can’t believe Danny didn’t tell you.”
I’m taken aback, my cup suspended in the air. “Over me?”
“The first time was a warning. The second time was Bryson fucking around and finding out.”
I reel back in astonishment, shaking my head in disbelief. “But Bryson said—I thought—are you sure?”
Her eyes narrow. “What did Bryson say?”
“That it was over Amanda. I figured it was true because they dated for a while and well, I don’t know. I figured Daniel got jealous or something.”
She rolls her eyes. “If that was the case, Danny would’ve done something a long time ago. The worst he did when he found out she cheated was yell at Bryson, but he hasn’t done anything since then. That’s until you. A month or so ago, he was talking shit about you in the locker room. Daniel punched and warned him not to do it again. The second time was on the first Friday of this month, I think. I don’t know what was said after their game but all I know is that Danny didn’t hold back.”
My jaw falls open. I close my mouth, but it goes slack again. “He said he accidentally punched the wall because Angel moved and?—”
“Oh, shit.” She winces. “I guess you weren’t supposed to know. Ugh, I don’t know why he didn’t tell you, but I promise he meant well. Don’t be mad.”
It must be the expression that I’m making because she studies me with caution, but Vienna has a megawatt grin on her face.
“I need to go talk to him.” I march over to him, not sure how to feel about what she just told me.
“Wait, Josie!” Pen calls behind me. “Don’t be mad!”
I ignore her and as I get closer, Daniel spots me. His lips cast downward at my face, and he stares at me with concern.
“Jos, what’s wrong?” he asks once I’m standing in front of him.
“Why did you punch Bryson?”
46
DANIEL
Josefine looks furious.
I’ve seen her mad but never like this, and it pains me to think she’s angry because I hurt him.
“What were you thinking?” she asks once we’re outside and away from the bar.
I lift my hat, dragging my fingers through my hair before I place it back but backwards. Her eyes flick to it for a moment before darting back to me.
