“You are also fucked beyond belief if the suggestion of you fucking her gets you all hot and bothered.”
I frown, which makes a change from nodding.
“Dec, when the idea of someone else referring to your girl as being the one you’re fucking sends you into shitty fight moves, it’s love. The real thing.”
He releases me. I straighten my clothes and take his former place on the wall while he continues to speak.
“Don’t fuck this up if it’s real because you won’t ever find it again.”
I know he is right. I believe every word he is saying, and yet, I don’t want to accept that because that means I have to tell Anita about Audrey and I’m not ashamed of it. It happened and I learned from it, but what I learned is the opposite of what I want with Anita.
Mase is right.
“I am fucked.”
He laughs. “Yup, well and truly. Come on, assuming you don’t really need to go to the club, let’s find a bar, grab one drink and you can make a plan of how this is going to work. Then, hopefully, the girls will have calmed down enough for me to go home to my wife who will make good on the promise I was previously on, and you can take Anita home and do whatever you’ve planned on doing.”
He offers me a hand and pulls me to my feet before back slapping me.
“Thanks, Mase.”
“No problem. That’s what big brothers are for, but stop dropping me in the shit, please.”
“Sorry. I’ll try.”
“Hmmm.” He doesn’t sound convinced. “And it’s a good job your work life comes with bouncers because you still can’t fucking fight for shit.”
Anita
“Anita.” Liv is staring at me expectantly, waiting for an answer.
“Home. Mum and Dad’s home, not Declan’s home.”
She nods and immediately turns the car in that direction.
Neither of us speak for several long seconds and then it’s her that opens conversation.
“Dec won’t be happy when he gets to mine and finds you’re not there.”
“Good. Do you know what Liv, I don’t want to be a doormat anymore—”
She cuts in. “You’re not—”
It’s my turn to interrupt her now. “I am, always have been, especially with men. From Adam Ashton in year one right up to now with Dec. I am just so fucking grateful that they have deemed me worthy of their attention that I put up with every bit of shit going and keep coming back for more. I am not perfect, and I’ve done things I am not proud of, but for once I want to be a choice not an option and for the person I am with to be proud to have me and be willing to do anything to keep me.”
The first of my tears rolls down my cheek.
“And that is no more than you deserve, and I think Dec might be that person.”
“Yet here we are, Declan with Mase, presumably getting their stories straight and me with you, crying.”
She pulls over and parks at the roadside a few streets from home and in seconds I find myself wrapped in her arms being squeezed tightly under the guise of a hug. “I promise, there will be no getting their story straight and when Mase gets home, I will know the truth, the whole truth.”
I can’t help myself, I laugh at her. “You are fucking scary.”
“So I’ve been told.” She grins.
“I need to be more like you.”
