The Guy on the Left (The Underdogs, #2)(41)

“Jesus, man. I had no idea.”

“Of fucking course, you didn’t,” Theo says in disgust.

“I don’t know what to say. I fucked up.”

“Did you even talk to her? Do you ever really talk to any of them?” Troy hangs his head as Theo lays into him. “If you would have spent more than five fucking minutes luring her into your bed, you might have been able to connect the dots. Instead, you’ve fucked my ex!”

Eyes wide, I try to muffle the sound of my coffee going down the wrong pipe as Troy speaks up. “Tell me what to do to make this right.”

“You can’t do anything.” Theo snaps, and briefly, I fear he may take a swing at Troy, which could be disastrous.

“That girl meant everything to me, for years, and you fuck her and treat her like she’s disposable. Can’t you see how wrong that is?”

Troy’s voice is hoarse when he speaks. “Tell me what to do.”

“How about you grow the fuck up a little?”

“It was a mistake.”

“No, hell no,” Theo corrects. “You don’t get to claim that. That was intentional. She was my mistake. To you, she was just last night.”

A beautiful blonde moves onto the porch, tears streaming down her face as Theo slams his car door and studies her briefly before tearing out of the driveway. Instantly I hate her for the rift she’s caused. I’m not allowed to be jealous, but I am, I’m swimming in it. Did she knowingly sleep with Troy to hurt Theo? If I have to judge by the devastation on her face, it seems it was a random hookup, and the realization has taken all three of them by surprise, Troy more so as he stands there staring after his roommate seeming lost. He glances toward my house and straightens when he sees me frozen on my porch watching it unfold. I have no idea what expression I’m wearing. Troy stares at me for long seconds before walking back up to the porch and ushering the blonde inside before slamming his front door.

Is he angry with me? I’m not to blame for this damned drama. Once again, his dick got him into a mess that goes beyond a casual hookup. Will he ever learn? Minutes later, I’m on my second cup of coffee when the blonde, no longer dressed in Troy’s jersey, is escorted to her car. Her face is splotchy from her tears. She didn’t mean to do it. She’s no victim, but what happened wasn’t intentional on either of their parts. Theo couldn’t see it, or maybe he could, and was too furious to care. All three of them are in this situation because of circumstance, I’m sure of it. I’m also confident that Theo and Troy’s relationship won’t ever be the same. I feel for Troy as he stands there staring after the girl who’s pulling out of his driveway with a lot more morning after baggage than she bargained for.

“Are you okay?” I ask Troy as he turns to me, his eyes cold, distant. It stings me in a way I’m not prepared for.

“Don’t you have a son to tend to? Anything else you could be doing?”

“Hey, I live here. You’re the one with your drama spilling out into the street.”

He stalks across the lawn, and I fight myself not to step back. He’s pissed at himself, at his shitty decision making, but I’m not about to be his punching bag. I ready myself because I’ve never seen him so angry.

“You satisfied?”

“What?”

“Are you fucking satisfied? You got enough ammo this morning to last you some time, sweetheart. You wanted it? There you go. You were waiting for something to hold against me, to prove you’re right about what a piece of shit I am. Happy?”

“Stop it. I saw what went down. You didn’t mean to hurt him. I’m not going to condemn you for a mistake.”

“Are you serious right now? You’ve been holding the same mistake over my head for six fucking years. The next time you get pissed off, I’m sure this will come up.”

“I’m pissed off now.”

“Nothing new.”

“Hey, you know what, you ass? I was young once too. I’ve been there, I’ve dealt with drama. I’m glad those days are over for me, but don’t piss on me because you made a mistake.”

“Goddamn right I did,” he grumbles, turning his back on me.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing. Carry on. Nothing more to see here.”

“Hey, Troy, why don’t you try the adult version of dating? It’s a lot easier, fewer casualties.”

He turns back to me, clenching his fists.

“Yeah? Is that where your boy toy comes over at the end of the night and pretends what you have is real?”

“What?”

“I saw you bring him in last night. It was nearly eleven. Tell me, did he tell you where he was before he decided to come over and get some?”

“That’s none of your—”

“My son is in there!”

“Keep your voice down,” I choke out. “And don’t make your drama mine.”

“I guess I shouldn’t be surprised he left before Dante woke up. He’s not in it for him.”

“Stop it. He stopped by for an hour or so and has a meeting with a client this morning. And no, I don’t want Dante meeting him yet. You see, in a mature relationship, we take all feelings into consideration on all sides.”