A flash of raw emotion moved over Graham’s face at that statement, but then it was gone. Only the understandable anger remained there, the disgust.
“Damn right,” Graham muttered, downing the rest of his drink and setting it on the table between them.
“Would you like…would you like me to give up my membership here?” Simon asked.
Graham stared at him. “Not return to White’s?”
Simon nodded. “If it would make it easier for you.”
“Well, if we’re talking abouteasier,” Graham said, leaning forward. “Why don’t you just leave London?”
Simon flinched. “I-I could do that.”
“And that house we bought in Scotland,” Graham continued.
“The hunting lodge?” Simon blinked. That was common property of all the men in their club. “We each own a part of that.”
“You sell your part to me or to James,” Graham clarified.
Pain ripped through Simon at the idea that he would be removed from his circle of friends. Because that’s what selling his portion of the lodge would represent: that he was being removed from the club. He would loseeverything.
“Very well, I can arrange that.” Simon tilted his head, for Graham didn’t seem to be finished. “What else?”
“What makes you think there’s more?” Graham slurred, though his gaze was very focused now, almost clear.
Simon shrugged. “I know you. I know you value loyalty and what I did betrayed you. My penance cannot be so easy as this. What more do you need? What more do you need to take in order to balance the scales between us?”
Graham stared at him a long time. “Meg.”
Simon stiffened. “What about Meg?”
“Maybe you don’t prance around together, being a happy couple,” Graham said slowly, his voice suddenly low and dark.
Simon paused. What Graham was demanding was exactly what Simon had already been doing, trying to distance himself from Meg as atonement for his sins. Now that Graham was actually asking him to do so, the reality of the request rang in his ears.
Meg was already skating on the edge with him. She reached out and he backed away, not because he wanted to, but because he felt he should. It wouldn’t be very long before Meg would stop trying. She would be a fool not to. And then he would lose her.
So what Graham was asking for was for Simon to destroy his marriage. Finally and fully.
Before he could reply, Graham pushed to his feet. He wobbled slightly as he glared down at Simon. “You’re a fucking coward, aren’t you?”
Simon slowly rose, not to fight, but to defend himself if need be. Graham had always thrown a wicked right cross and one didn’t want to be seated when it landed.
“I know I hurt—” he began, wanting to apologize. To help somehow.
“Goddamn it, Simon, don’t fucking apologize to me,” Graham interrupted as he shoved him hard.
Simon staggered but didn’t move forward, even as the other men in the room began to circle toward them, wary but interested in this very public faceoff.
“What do you want me to do then?” Simon snapped, his patience fraying.
“Fight,” Graham growled.
“I’m not going to fight you,” Simon said softly.
Graham rolled his eyes. “Of course you’re not. You never have. Not even for a woman you clearly love. You told me you love her, didn’t you? But I mention that you should walk away from her and from friendships you’ve held for over a decade and you just…sit there.” He shoved Simon again, and this time the force drove Simon into the table. It tipped over sideways and both their glasses shattered on the floor.
“Stop,” Simon ground out. “I don’t want to fight you, Graham.”
