I crossed my arms over my chest. “Why didn’t you come to me for advice on how to deal with Trent?”
“Why would I?” he said, shaking his head. “He’smyclient.”
“You were working with a young, would-be model with serious body image issues. You didn’t think maybe I could have some insight into what he was going through?” I’d gotten to know the kid well over the last couple of months, and the more time I spent with him the more I’d wondered why Law never told me about him before our chance meeting. Now I felt like I’d finally started to understand. Law had spent so much of his life wanting to save others. It didn’t seem to occur to him he didn’t always have to be the hero.
“Wait a second.” Gabi had been standing beside us the whole time, her head swivelling back and forth as Law and I argued. “Is this the same Trent I did a shoot for early this year?”
“He would be the one,” I responded.
She turned to Law. “I tried to talk to you about him when I put his portfolio together. Some of the things he said during the shoot, the way he acted. I had red flags popping up all over the place. You said he was fine, there wasn’t a problem.”
Law gritted his teeth as he responded. “I was handling it.”
“No,” I told him. “You were trying to handle it, but it wasn’t working.” Law had never really understood what Trent needed. At least I had a clue, and I’d been able to provide him with some support. “You don’t always have the answers, Law. No one does.”
“Fine,” he snapped. “I sucked at helping Trent. I get it. But this isn’t about him. This is about you putting yourself in a situation that could trigger a relapse. How is that a good idea?” He gestured to Gabi. “Are you really okay with him doing this?”
She glanced between the two of us, taking a deep breath before she responded. “I think we should support Connor in his decision.”
Law’s mouth fell open at her words. “Are you kidding me? How can you even say that?” he cried, glaring at her. “This decision could hurt him.”
“You don’t know it will,” she insisted.
Her hand slid into mine and my heart warmed as she gave me the one thing I desperately needed right now. Her trust. I hoped Law would do the same, but when I looked at him, I saw only fear in his eyes.
“I just want what’s best for you,” he whispered.
“I know you do,” I replied, knowing in my heart it was true. “But I’m the one who gets to decide what’s best. It’s about damned time I start making those decisions for myself.” Reaching out to put my free hand on his shoulder, I met his gaze head-on. “I don’t need you to be my hero anymore. I only need you to love me.”
“Idolove you.” His face twisted into a pained grimace. “You fucking know how much I love you, and I want to support you.” He paused for moment, before shaking his head. “But I can’t support you in this.”
Jerking away from me, he did the one thing I never believed he would do. He walked out the door.
TWENTY-EIGHT
______
GABI
I drained the last of the liquid from my glass before holding it out for a refill. “Is there anything that can’t be solved by margaritas?”
Sean snorted a laugh as he topped me up from the pitcher of bright pink alcohol he’d made up within moments of arriving at my place. “A hangover?”
“Huh!” I took a sip before snuggling deeper into the couch cushions. “I don’t believe in hangovers.”
“You don’t need to, honey.” Sean paused to hold up his own glass before taking a sip. “They believe in you.”
The sound of an explosion drew our attention back to the movie we were supposed to be watching. I’d been so distracted, I had only a vague idea of what was going on. Something about the end of the world and some dude needing to save the day. The usual. It wasn’t long before my mind drifted again.
“Thanks for coming over tonight,” I told Sean. “I’m glad to have the company.”
“No problem,” he said, looking at me sideways. “Connor arrived in Melbourne okay?” Sean had gone to great pains not to ask about my low mood or my sudden need for alcohol. It seemed his curiosity had finally gotten the better of him.
“Yeah, he sent a text when he arrived at the hotel.”
After a heavy pause, Sean tried again. “I would have thought you and Lawrence would be keeping each other company in his absence. Isn’t that one of the perks of having three people in the bed? Even when one’s missing, you don’t have to be lonely, right?”
“You’d think.” My tone couldn’t have been more morose if it was a puppy and I’d threatened to drown it.
