Page 46 of Before We Were Us

Jensen

The sound of music pumping fills the background as Taylor answers her phone.

“Hello?”

“Don’t hang up,” I say in a rush and half expect to hear a click, only the music continues. I know already she must be in a club.

“Okay,” she finally says and I sense her annoyance. The woman is filled with so much attitude on a good day.

“I’m sorry to call you, but she’s left me no other choice.”

“As if she owes you any choice at all.” The DJ in the background gives away the name of the club and without her knowing she gives me their location. I’m already putting my car in drive.

“I can’t say that I blame her,” Taylor adds. “Do you think calling me is going to get you any closer?”

“Five minutes,” I interrupt. “You don’t owe me a damn thing, I know this. Believe me when I say that the reality of this all isn’t even close to what you’ve all imagined.”

“So you weren’t married when you pursued my best friend?”

“Yes, I’m married, but I can promise you that marriage has been over a lot longer than I’ve known Brynn. I need to explain, she deserves that.”

“She deserves a lot more!”

“You’re right,” I don’t argue. “If after I tell her what I should have from the start doesn't change anything then I’ll walk away. If she tells me to leave her alone then I will, but dammit Taylor I have to try.”

I turn into the parking deck that sits directly behind the club I know she’s at and take the first available spot I can find.

Putting my car in park, I turn off the engine and climb out, already making my way to Brynn.

“For the first time in two weeks I’ve seen her laugh and smile. Like genuinely smiling, not the forced shit she’s been using to convince me she’s alright.” Taylor’s words feel like a kick to my stomach. “She’s been shit on by a lot of guys, Steele.”

“I never meant to hurt her.”

“But you did,” she hisses. “Hurting her is the worst thing you can do in my book. We all have a person, someone that holds us together and she is that for me. I take her pain seriously and nothing makes me angrier than some asshole man mistakenly thinking she’s dispensable.”

I give Anton, the bouncer at the door, a nod and he pulls open the door allowing me to enter. I know the club well, it's one of Connor’s go-to places.

“I can assure you of one thing Taylor, Brynn is unforgettable.” And with that I end the call and set out for my search. I comb through the crowd, looking around at the tables, feeling more anxious with each passing second.

The music vibrates my chest, people bumping against me as I move through them. People part just enough for me to notice a familiar face as Marco from the coffee shop comes into view. He’s sitting at a tall table with another man.

Taking a chance I start toward him until I’m suddenly blocked by a feisty blond. For a second I swear she’s fucking glowing with anger, but then realize it’s the newly added red highlights that seem to flash as the lights around us flicker.

“Real slick move.” She blocks my path. “Calling me to find out where we are without actually asking the question.”

“Call me desperate.” I shrug.

“I can think of a few other words that fit better.” Taylor narrows her eyes at me.

“Can you hate me later?” I refuse to give in when I’m so close. “I fucked up, you don’t think I know this already. I respect this thing you got going on here where you are protecting her, but you don’t have to protect her from me.”

“That’s funny considering that you’ve managed to hurt her more in the short time you’ve known her than her asshole ex did when she found him screwing his ex-girlfriend.”

I stare at her.

“That’s right, your pal Gibson screwed her over by nailing his ex. The guy before that fucked his secretary through the week and then played happy family with Brynn outside of work. So she’s had a real shitty run with a line of douchebags. I thought you were different. But instead of you fucking around on her you made her the one that was helping you do the fucking around. In the end it's all the same, if you ask me.”

I stand there staring at the woman that I want to hate but can’t. She is fiercely loyal to Brynn and for that I kind of love her.

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