What. An.Asshole.
In the face of his accusation, I throw caution to the wind and shove his chest as hard as I can. If it weren’t for the shock factor, he wouldn’t have budged at all.
“You know what, Gabe? Not everything is about you. Sometimes, things are allowed to be about me.”
With that, I turn on my heel and storm out, only barely resisting the urge to slam the door behind me.
Gabe
She’s gone. Thank fucking God. I couldn’t have handled her fussing over me for another minute without kissing her senseless and demanding to know what, exactly, she believes she can get from her date that she can’t get from me.Mierda.I know I was an ass, but considering I just came close to losing to some no-name guy with a hick accent, I think I deserve to be ill-tempered for a couple hours. That asshole tasted victory—I saw it in his eyes—and Gabe Mendoza can’t lose to someone like him. I can’t.
Groaning, I wipe a hand down my face and consider what Dad will say when we talk later. He has high expectations, and while he didn’t say it, I disappointed him tonight. He was so sure of me that he didn’t even try to have a pep talk ahead of time, and then I nearly blew it. This will be great fodder for the sports tabloids. I’ve seen at least three headlines this year claiming I’ll surpass Dad and win the Ruby Knuckles where he failed, but at least another four have declared that I’ll forever be in his shadow. And now this. All of his hopes—and years of supporting me—are hanging over my head.
Try living with that.
Someone knocks, and I ignore it. They’ll go away. I need to be alone to stew in peace. But then the door cracks open.
“Hello?” It’s a male voice. One I don’t recognize. My stomach tightens with anger. Can’t he tell he needs to leave?
“Fuck off.”
“In a moment. First, there’s something I need to say to you.”
Opening my eyes, I scowl at Dr. Ken, who looks like he’d be right at home opposite Malibu Barbie. Except, in his twisted mind, Sydney is his Barbie. To his credit, Ken doesn’t wither under the power of my glare as a lesser adversary might. That only pisses me off more. Why is he still here? Shouldn’t he have left with Sydney? He won, after all. If he stays here, he risks me pounding him into the cement floor.
“The fuck you want?” I growl.
Ken approaches, arms crossed, expression smug. Of course it is. He has the girl. “I always wondered why Sydney didn’t date,” he says. “But now it’s clear.” He stops a few inches from me, and doesn’t appear put off in the slightest by my bleeding face. “You’ve grown accustomed to having her attention, but that won’t last now that she’s finished waiting around for you. You didn’t make a move, and she decided to put herself out there.” Grinning, he cocks his head. “Thanks for messing up. You can be sure I won’t make the same mistake. I fully intend to hold onto her, because I recognize something special when I have it, and I’ll treat her as such.” He shakes his head. “Seems like you set the bar low, bro.”
My fists clench. I want to mop the floor with his perfectly symmetrical face, but then the truth sinks in. He’s right. How many times have I stood Sydney up, or been late to a meeting with her? She’s always smiled and waved it off, but I can tell it upsets her. I just haven’t acknowledged what a dick I was being because she didn’t call me on it, and no one else was around to see. But this guy—Ken—it’s obvious he has his sights set on Sydney, and there’s no reason for him to sugarcoat the facts.
I’ve been an ass.
Ken nods, even though I didn’t speak my thoughts aloud. “Glad we’ve cleared that up. I hope we can get along better in future, now that we know where things stand. See you around, Gabe.”
Then he leaves, taking my peace of mind with him. Swearing, I reach for the scissors and start cutting the tape from my hands. Now that I’ve opened a mental door, questions flood into my mind.
Have I taken Sydney for granted?
Do I expect her to support me and be in my life when I don’t give her the same?
Yes, and yes. I’m a shit friend. Shame heats my cheeks and clogs my throat. When did our relationship become so one-sided? She’s always been my safe harbor in a storm, and I’d thought I was the same for her, but a horrifying truth dawns: I’m not. I’m just another person who takes from her without giving back. Her date was right to call me on my bullshit.
“I’ll be better,” I whisper, but both Sydney and Ken are long gone.
Freeing my hands, I discard the wrapping and pace over to the mirror. When I stare at my reflection, I don’t like what I see. The man looking back at me isn’t the man I want to believe I am. I’ve always relied on Sydney to be my conscience—the better part of me—but likewise, I’ve always believed I’d step aside when she found someone who could give her what she needs. Someone like Ken.
Yet now, every part of my body rebels at the thought.
Fuck that, Sydney is mine.
But if I want her, I need to work harder to deserve her, because right now, the guy looking at me in the mirror isn’t good enough for Sydney Coleman, and he knows it.
8
Sydney
After kissing Ken goodbye outside my apartment building—a kiss that felt uninspiring and all kinds of wrong—I change into my pajamas. I’m quietly fuming about Gabe’s behavior when a knock at the door catches my attention. Opening it, I expect to find that Ken has returned and already have a dismissal on my lips when I come to an abrupt halt.
