Page 65 of Hitting the Gap

“He pissed me off.” Why was she getting annoyed with him? Brad had been the one being an asshole.

“Obviously. But why would you pretend we were dating?”

“Where the fuck does he get off saying shit like that? Like you couldn’t hold my attention. That’s bullshit,” he grumbled.

“Gonzo, we both know I couldn’t.”

His head snapped up. “Fuck that,” he growled. “You could hold my attention just fine.” More than fine, unfortunately, that was part of the problem. He wasn’t supposed to notice how sexy his friend was.

“Right,” she mumbled.

Hating the insecurity so clearly obvious in the way her body slumped, he reached across the table and grabbed her hand. “Bay.” He paused. “Look at me.”

She raised her head. Tears swam in her eyes and it broke his heart.

“Brad’s a fucking pussy. He’s not man enough to handle a woman like you, and he knows it. That’s why he fucking cheated.” He stroked her wrist with his thumb, enjoying the way her pulse raced beneath his finger. He’d probably regret saying this, but what the hell. “I am and believe me when I say you’ve got my attention. You always have.”

Bailey snorted. “Yeah right.”

“Who was the first person I called after the draft?”

“Me.”

“And after my first pro game?”

“Me,” she whispered.

“And when I was going to make an offer on my place?”

“Me.” She raised her head. Their gaze connected and held. Surely she could feel it too.

“But that’s just because we’re friends.”

“Bailey, you’re the first person I want to call when I have good news and the only person I want to have by my side for the bad. That means something.”

“Yeah, that we’re still best friends.” She looked at him, then sighed. “You’ve never looked at me like that, like a woman, though.”

“You don’t know how I’ve looked at you.”

“Come on Gonzo, you fucked anything in a skirt when we were in high school.”

“Yep, and did I ever get serious about any of them?”

“No.”

“Exactly. I’ve fucked a lot of girls, Bay. Never loved any of them.”

“You never wanted to fuck me.”

If only that were true. “I never wanted to lose you.”

Bailey glanced around the restaurant. “Are we really having this conversation here, of all places? With Brad right over there.”

“Seems so.” He slid his chair around the side of the table closer to her, so his knees bracketed her thighs.

Bailey sighed. “I appreciate what you’re doing, but you can’t rewrite history, Gonzo. You never wanted me.”

“I never let myself want you. There’s a difference.”

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