Page 76 of Bossy Trouble

“Listen, you need to stop hurting my sister,” he said, sounding angrier than I’d ever heard him. “I think you’ve done her enough damage, don’t you think?”

Ah, I supposed Georgia had told Garrett all about our relationship and our fight too. I understood and sympathized with Garrett’s position. He never approved of the two of us being together in the first place and had only begrudgingly accepted it. Couldn’t blame him—I wouldn’t want someone like me dating my sister, either.If I had one.

“Garrett—”

“No, I’m not going to stay out of this, Donovan,” he said angrily. “Don’t think just because you’ve lent me money here and there and helped me out a few times that I’m going to just stay quiet while you make her life a living hell. I’ll come for you, you bastard…and I may not have the money to make you pay, but I have other things, and I swear to God if you hurt her again—”

“I’m in love with her,” I blurted out, seeing it as the only way to end his tirade.

That shocked him into complete silence. He didn’t say anything for nearly half a minute, then muttered, “What did you just say?”

“I’m in love with Georgia,” I repeated. “I don’t know when and I don’t know how it happened, but I love that girl. I’m a complete idiot over her, and I’d rather claw out my own heart than hurt her again. You understand?”

Another moment of silence passed. “Woah, that’s….”

“I know.”

“It’s just…a little unbelievable, considering how you treated her back when y’all dated.”

“We never dated.” I frowned. “Georgia and I only ever messed around a few times, but nothing was ever made official.”

Garret paused. “Are you sure about that? Because I think it was pretty official to her.”

“No.” Georgia and I had a strictly hook-up agreement, where we would hook up and then promise never to do it again until we eventually did it again. It became our thing. But never once had we discussed being in a relationship or anything of that sort.

A thought suddenly occurred to me. “Wait, did Georgia think we were in a relationship the entire time back then?”

“I don’t know,” Garrett said a little too quickly. “Maybe.”

“Shit.” I was always openly flirting with other women in front of her. While I didn’t sleep with any of them when we had our fling, I never shied away from any of the other girls who pursued me.

If she thought we were in a relationship, then that would mean she thought I cheated on her.

And that would make me a fucking asshole.

Fuck, was that why she left?

“Damn.” Regret ran through me like a stream. It was all over a giant miscommunication. But if I’d known Georgia thought we had a relationship, would I have accepted it? Or would I have balked?

I couldn’t answer that question. All I knew was that, while I cared about her then, now I loved her more than life itself.

If only I’d looked for her back then instead of letting my pride get in the way. I could have explained, or she could have told me how she felt. Then she never would have met the bastard who broke her heart.

On the other hand, she would not have had Avery.

Which reminds me…

“How come you never told me Georgia had a kid?” I asked Garrett.

“I didn’t think you cared to know,” Garret responded.

“Of course I cared to know,” I said, thinking about Avery and her toothy grin. “Great kid. I adore that girl too, just like she was my own.”

Garret was quiet for a long time after I spoke. So long that I thought he accidentally hit the mute button.

That was until he said in a very grave tone, “Donovan, I think there’s something you need to know.”

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