I don’t like lying to him, but I console myself with the fact that I am actually planning to go over there, even if I don’t “have plans” with her per se.
He pulls a face. “Does it have to be tonight? The big fight will arrive before you know it.”
God, this is hard. It’s not often I deny Dad anything. He’s my hero. I grew up watching from the front row while he faced off against some of the MMA and boxing greats. I was also there the night he lost everything and I saw how hard he took it, so I know how badly he wants me to succeed. But there’s still plenty of time to get our tactics sorted, and I’m not going to be able to think straight until I assure myself that Sydney and I are okay.
“Yeah, it does. Rain check?”
His lips press together and he’s clearly not pleased, but he nods. “Next week.”
“Done.Adios, Papa.Catch you later.”
“Bye, son.”
I sling my bag over my shoulder and leave before he can call me back. My motorbike is parked outside and I drive it to her apartment and let myself into the building with the key she had made for me. After the incident when I walked in on her having sex, I always knock at her apartment rather than making myself at home, just to be safe.
The door swings open and Sydney stands in the doorway, fastening a necklace. It’s silver, with a cute charm on the end, and falls just to the top of her fabulous tits.
“Gabe?” She seems confused by my presence. “What are you doing here?”
Brushing past her, I make myself at home on her sofa. “I came to talk.”
“Oh.” She swallows. “Any reason in particular?”
I stare at her. Is she kidding me right now? She’s been dodging me for days, and she has no idea why I’m here? I don’t buy it. She just wants to make me say the words. I’ve never been a great talker—a sore spot between us because she’s all about maintaining open lines of communication.
“I missed you,” I grind out, forcing myself to relax. “So I came to see you.”
She brightens. “Well, that’s nice.” Then her expression falls. “But I’m actually heading out. Sorry.”
Out? She’s going out? What does that even mean?
“Where to? I’ll come with you.”
She smiles wryly. “Probably best you don’t. I have a date, and I don’t think he’ll appreciate me bringing another man along, even if he is my best friend.”
A date? What the fuck? She’s blowing me off to spend time with another guy? One she doesn’t even know? A sense of wrongness overwhelms me, and a muscle ticks in my jaw. I turned down my father to be here, and she should be joining me on the sofa to watch a movie and snuggle, not putting on jewelry for someone else.
Flirtingwith someone else.Kissingsomeone else.
Has she considered her safety?
“Syd, you know it’s dangerous to meet people off the internet. Do you really need to take the risk? Aren’t you being a bit careless?”
Oh, shit. Immediately, it’s obvious I’ve said the wrong thing. Her nostrils flare, her eyes narrow, and she takes a step toward me.
“I’m going to pretend you didn’t say that.” Her hands fist at her sides. “Because I know you didn’t mean to question my intelligence. I work at a hospital, Gabe. I know full well the dangers of trusting the wrong person, and I promise you, I’m taking precautions.”
God, I’m messing all of this up. It’s just that, while I always said I’d step aside and let her date someone else when the time came, I don’t want it to happen like this. It feels wrong, all the way down to my bones. Things between us are tense, and they shouldn’t be. We’re supposed to be closer than that. I don’t want to lose our friendship. And as far as her dating goes, I always figured she’d meet some guy at the hospital and be swept off her feet—maybe a doctor. But online is a whole other story, and I’m not cool with it.
And fuck it, I just plain don’t want anyone else touching her.
“Please, Syd. I’m asking you, as my friend, to cancel this date.” She hesitates, and I try to press my advantage. “Isn’t our friendship more important than some guy who might turn out to be a psycho?”
“Oh. My. God,” she growls through gritted teeth, and I can honestly say I’ve never heard anything quite like it. “This isn’t about pitting you against him.” She throws her hands in the air. “It’s about me prioritizing myself for once, okay? So deal with it.”
Stalking to her bedroom, she shoves the door shut but I catch it and follow her in. “Explain it to me. I want to understand.” But I don’t get it. I just don’t.
Grabbing the hem of her shirt, she whips it off, and my jaw drops.Mierda, she’s undressing in front of me. What the hell is going on here? And damn, her body is even more gorgeous than I remember. Her back is to me, and the skin is smooth and looks so soft that my fingers twitch at my sides, desperate to touch it. The clasp of a black silk bra meets over her spine, and my cock really likes the look of it. I bet that bra is sheer and lacy around the front, cupping her full tits just perfectly. Wiping a hand over my eyes, I grind my back teeth and try really hard not to think about my best friend’s assets.
