Kissed Blind (Hot Pursuit #2)(39)

“Don’t do what?”

“Talk about what you do with other women to me.”

“Why not?”

“Because it’s tacky and gross.”

He looked down his nose at me. “You talk about Gabe.”

“I do not talk about Gabe like that with you.”

He shrugged. “What do you care what I do anyway?”

I squinted. “Because I do. You’re better than schlepping around with these women.”

“It was one girl, not women. And, you don’t know her like I do.” The mocking tone in his voice worked its way under my skin.

“Stop it.”

“Stop what?”

“Stop acting like a jerk.”

“Maybe I am a jerk. You ever think of that?”

“Don’t give me that.” I clenched my teeth down tight and had a strong suspicion from where his attitude stemmed. “I know this is all an act. You’re just mad.”

He sat back in his chair and laced his fingers behind his head. “Mad about what exactly?”

“Mad that Gabe was here last night and you and I couldn’t hang out like we planned.”

He grunted. “Like we planned? So you noticed we had plans. Huh. You know, now that you mention it maybe that did bother me a little. You seem to cast me aside rather easily without so much as a second thought.”

“I said I was sorry, but you offered to leave anyway, I didn’t cast you aside. I didn’t know he’d be here. And geez, I take back what I said about you being chipper when you walked in.” I left my chair and dumped the rest of my coffee in the sink, turning my back to him. My Cheetos high slipped away, and that alone was enough to fuel my growing anger. “Maybe that Sherry didn’t do such a good job servicing your loins last night and you still have all this pent up… whatever it is.” My words were sharper than I’d expected, and they pierced my ears the instant they left my mouth.

Vance pushed his chair back and stomped over next to me. “Don’t talk to me like that.”

“Talk like what?” I spun around and faced him, gripping the edge of the sink. “You mean tell the truth?”

He tossed his head back and laughed. “Princess, you wouldn’t know the truth if it came up and bit you in the ass.”

“I… I…” So much raw fury surged through my veins I had a hard time stringing together logical thought. In all the years Vance and I had known each other, we’d never had a real fight. I dropped my hands at my sides and balled them into tight fists to stop myself from punching him.

Why were we arguing anyway? Gabe came over and Vance left. He called another girl and had… oh God… sex with her. I cringed internally.

But so what? Why did I care?

I didn’t.

I shouldn’t. I’d be a hypocrite to be bothered by what he did knowing I did the same.

But, I cared. Any way I sliced it up, I did. I’d have to think about it later. I was too pissed to begin to figure it out. My breath left my mouth in quick, hot bursts.

“I can’t wait for you to tell me what the truth is, O Wise One,” I managed.

He took one big step toward me, pinning my body against the sink and resting his hands on either side of me. The rate of his breathing matched mine, and our heartbeats synced.

“I don’t like being second best. It’s not a role I play well.”

His words hurt my heart, and my anger eased into pain. “You’re not second best. You’re my best friend.”

He snorted and leaned in closer to my face. “I’m not your best friend otherwise you wouldn’t do this over and over and over.”

I stuttered to choose the right words. I understood what he was saying, I did, but saying what I felt out loud didn’t make sense to me either. He was my best friend, but so was Gabe. They were almost complete opposites, and I loved them both, just differently.

“You are… one of them,” was what I settled on.

He shook his head. “I don’t like it when you choose him over me. Always, constantly.”

I gathered enough courage to look him in the eye. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I didn’t think. Seeing Gabe caught me off guard, and when you two are around each other it makes me tense. It’s hard to think sometimes.”

He didn’t back off, and the heat of his Arabica bean scented breath touched my lips. My heart pounded faster still. “Don’t do it again.” The anger in his voice had dissipated slightly.

“I won’t. I promise.”

My pocket buzzed. Vance pushed off the counter and snatched his mug off the table while I retrieved my phone. Gabe texted and was checking to see if I was still mad. I typed a quick reply saying everything was fine and shoved the phone back in my pocket.

“We should head out so we’re not late,” Vance said.

“Yeah, okay.” I walked over to the door and zipped into my boots. Vance didn’t wait for me. I met him out on the street.

We drove to Oliver’s apartment in silence, neither of us bothering with the radio. The tension could have been cut with a knife. I sat with my hands crossed in my lap and stared out the window.

When we pulled into our spot, Vance put the Rover in park and grabbed my wrist. “We cool?”