My phone buzzed in my back pocket. With my un-abused hand, I pulled it out. My brow furrowed. Why in the hell was Taylor calling me? My shoulders tensed, but I hit accept. “Hey, Taylor.”
“You’re a fucking idiot.”
I sighed, placing the phone down on the counter and hitting the speaker button. “Well, hello to you, too.”
“Don’t give me that shit. I was rooting for you two. For weeks now, I’ve been practicing the speech I was going to give Walker to keep him from losing his shit when he found out.”
My jaw clenched. “Well, now you can retire that speech.”
Taylor let out a little growl. “I don’t want to retire it! I want two people who I love very much to get their heads out of their asses and realize they’re perfect for each other.”
I gripped the edge of the counter, the action causing my split knuckles to reopen. “This is the best thing I could ever do for her. Walking away.”
“Oh my God. Enough with the martyr crap already.”
A small grin curved my mouth. “You know, you curse a lot for an elementary school teacher.”
“Well, I’m not in front of a bunch of fucking ten year olds right now, am I? Actually, based on your emotional IQ, maybe I am. Why are you doing this?”
There was that familiar ticking in my cheek again. “Because I’m no good for her.”
Taylor’s voice grew gentle. “Why would you think that?”
I ran a hand through my hair, staying silent.
Taylor sucked in a breath. “Tuck, you’re not your father.”
I let out a chuckle, but it was cold. “That’s not what he says.”
“From the little I’ve seen and heard, your father is a drunk, a cheater, and an asshole. Why would you listen to a word he says? I’m sure he doesn’t even believe half the shit that comes out of his mouth.”
I twirled the bottle of vodka around on the counter, the same one that had been in my freezer for almost a year. “Doesn’t mean he’s wrong.”
“Why doyouthink he’s right?”
I drummed my fingers against the glass. “I like women.”
Taylor snorted. “I like men. That doesn’t mean I’m going to cheat on Walker.”
I grinned at the counter. “I’ve had a bit more of an active sex life than you, Taylor.”
“Thatyouknow of.” She was quiet for a moment. “Has any woman grabbed your attention for more than just a fleeting, appreciative glance since you and Jensen started up?”
I thought back to the girl in the bar right before Jensen and I had gotten together. I couldn’t even remember her name now. The truth was that every female paled in comparison to Jensen. They always had.
There was no body I craved more, not because it looked any particular way, but because it was hers.
There was no one I wanted to talk to more at the end of the day. I wanted her laughter, her tears. I wanted to know every thought that entered her head. That had never been the case with any other woman.
I had known for a long time that Jensen Cole was the only woman for me. I’d just resigned myself to never having her fully.
“What if I hurt her?”
Taylor sighed. “The truth is, you will. You already have. But it’s about how you mend those hurts. How you learn from them and try again.”
My chest clenched. “I need to fix this.”
“Yes, you do.”
