Page 20 of Heart of the Race

“No, you haven’t,” he agreed snidely. “Nothing at all.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Christ, no one wound me up as fast as Varro! I was so calm and serene ninety percent of the time. Only with him did I turn into a crazy person.

“You left me.”

How he could fill three little words with so much hurt and surprise and anger all at the same time, I had no idea. “I always said I was going to find a place and settle down, and you—it was a year ago, asshole.”

“I know precisely how long ago it was.”

“You were fine with it.”

“I thought you were coming back when the new season started.”

“Why?”

“I just did.”

“You just did?” What the hell kind of logic was that? “That’s ridiculous.”

“But you showed me, huh?”

“It’s been a year!” I retorted. “We talked on the— How can you be mad now when you weren’t mad then? That makes zero sense.”

“I was always mad.”

“You were always mad? That’s crap. How come you never said anything?”

“What was there to say?”

“What’s there to say now?”

Silence.

“Varro?”

“There’s nothing to say,” he said quietly. “So I guess I’ll⁠—”

“Don’t you dare hang up the phone,” I snarled, absolutely furious with him.

“Why? You just said⁠—”

“You have been a shitty friend,” I swore, passing judgment.

“Me? If one of us has been a total prick, believe me, baby, it’s you.”

“Don’t call me ‘baby,’” I stated petulantly, feeling the anger surging up from my gut. “And you don’t even know what I’ve done!”

“You mean with your business, with Chameleon, that you never asked me to help you with? Is that what you’re talking about?”

“Help me?” I was livid, his words just fanning the flames.

“Yes, Brian, that’s what you do when you have a best friend. You call them and announce the big events in your life! You ask them to invest time and money, to help with funds to get the place off the ground! You ask them to come and be with you so you don’t go insane, because just seeing them grounds you and makes it so you can breathe.”

He lost me at the last part, and my brain shorted out. Instantly baffled, shocked out of my anger. “What?”

“Oh fuck off. Don’t play dumb. You know better, and you didn’t tell me on purpose.”

It was true. I’d been busy, yes, but I’d also made the conscious choice not to contact him. But that wasn’t the part I was confused about. “I knew better?” I repeated his words.