Page 35 of Brutal Days

“How’s Coach?”

I shrugged. “Fine. I was late one day for practice. I don’t know if he’ll start me in the game this weekend.” It’d been worth it. The feel of Sky falling apart in my arms had starred as a running fantasy in my mind far too often.

“You’re kidding, right? Phoenix will only have Shane as an option without you. Johnston is a mediocre second-string running back.”

“I know. I’m trying not to stress about it. But I’m glad you’re home for a few days anyway. Are you coming to the fight?”

“Probably not. It’s too much of a risk for Riley and me if we get caught. You should think about that too.” He stared at me for too long with his eerie intensity that felt like he could see all my secrets—the darkness that lurked just below the surface and fed on violence and sex. “How are things at home?”

“They are what they are.” I didn’t want to get into it.

“Dad hasn’t said anything, but your less-than-receptive attitude hasn’t thawed toward him and Raelyn. Why?”

“You know why.” Instantly furious, I used my words as weapons. “I can’t believe you’re on their side. He cheated on Mom with her. She was so unhappy she took her life. How can you forgive him for that?”

“Because it’s Riley’s mom. I had to take a step back when the shit hit the fan and reevaluate. He’s human. His marriage to Mom wasn’t for love. It was because she got pregnant.”

“So you’re saying his cheating was right?”

“No.” Cole ran his hands through his dark hair. “I’m saying they had too many things stacked against them. Mom loved him so much more than he did her—if he ever had. Then there’s Raelyn and how Dad is with her. I try to see things from an outsider’s point of view. When I look at everything that way, I can understand. You should try it. Dad isn’t the enemy.”

Wrong.Dad was. And I was just like him, destined to cheat. The only thing worse would be if I had ended up like Mom, destined to love someone more than they loved me.

CHAPTER TWENTY

SKYLAR

#Ick

What the hell, Gia?I tugged my hair with one hand and white-knuckled my phone against my ear with the other. Embarrassment threaded through the hurt from how she hadn’t defended me while Damon was being such an ass.

The phone continued to ring. It wasn’t that late. Damon would have taken her home from the restaurant long ago. I knew she wasn’t out with him, judging by his pissy attitude. Standing in the glow of the parking lot’s streetlamp, I hung up and hit the button to call her again. She finally picked up on the fourth ring.

“Hello?”

Fuck that. She knows it’sme.“Why did you just sit there? Damon was a total dick, and you didn’t say a word.”

“You weren’t being that great either. You dumped our table onto another waitress.”

“No shit. Because of the sort of situation that took place. What’s going on with you? We’re friends.” As a couple exited the restaurant, I stepped out of the light and toward my car. I felt sick to my stomach about the tension between us.

“It doesn’t help that you’re arguing with my boyfriend. What if he decides it’s not worth dating me because you’re being a bitch to him every time we turn around?”

I stopped several feet from my car, shock rippling through me like she’d reached through the phone and bitch slapped me. “Then he isn’t worth it.” When she said nothing, I growled through my shock and pain. “What you’re saying is that he’s more important than all the years of our friendship.”

“That isn’t what I said,” she snapped, irritation clear in her tone. “But you could drop the attitude. And… you know I’m not good with confrontation. You usually stand up for both of us. I wasn’t aware things had changed overnight.”

Something certainly has.“This is a clusterfuck, Gia. Is he really worth it?” I could feel our friendship slipping away, and I hated every second.

“Yes.” Her voice cracked across the line. “I told you how much this means to me, and if you care about me at all, you’ll drop the bitchy attitude toward Damon and support me in this.”

The line went dead. I pulled it away from my face and checked the screen. Sure as shit, she’d hung up on me. Fuck my life.My patience is thin enough as it is, and she wants me to dig deeper?If only she knew the lengths to which I’d gone for her. Maybe she would appreciate me more. I snorted.Now, who’s the delusional one?

I briefly shut my eyes and released the tension and anger from the call with Gia. Things weren’t as bad as I’d made them out to be.So what that Gia’s spineless sometimes?She was my friend. She had plenty of qualities that more than made up for what had happened at Chicks-N-Wings. Besides—I felt the thick stack of dollars in my pocket—things were looking up in some ways.

A hundred dollars richer, I crossed the rest of the parking lot with a wad of cash tucked securely inside my purse. I hadn’t bothered to change into different clothes, so the end of the night had been easy. I’d finished my closing responsibilities, given the bar a percentage of my tips, and headed out. If only I could erase the uncomfortable conversation with Gia, I would consider it a successful night. Sort of. Damon’s gripe about me being objectified wasn’t far from my thoughts.

The job was okay, but I hated to admit that Damon was right—and I wouldn’t tell him. Commentsweremade that I had to bite my tongue about, like when an old man had told me he wanted to be served by the prettiest waitress. I’d struggled to hold back a resounding “fuck you.” And some douche seated with what looked like fellow frat jerkoffs had almost grabbed my ass.

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