A soft smile tilted his lips as he gazed at me with something in his eyes I couldn’t quite place.It was new.Something I hadn’t seen before from him.
“If you hated me so much, why did you still follow me?”
“I wanted to see if the little boy who had been my best friend followed his dreams. I wanted to know that at least one of us got the happy ending we deserved.”
“You aren’t happy?” he pressed, sadness filling his eyes when I shook my head.
“Haven’t been happy since the morning I found my mom,” I admitted, sipping on my coffee, needing a distraction from his intense gaze.
“We both came from troubled homes, and we both made it out alive. Even though it might not have been your dream, you’re pretty successful, Tate.”
I’d never looked at it that way. I’d seen myself becoming a fitness influencer almost as a cop-out. It was an easy way to make an income if I put in the work, which was hours at the gym, and I had more than enough time on my hands to do exactly that. Not to mention, in the four walls of the gym, I could drown everything out and just focus on me. Nothing else mattered.
“We still have those campaign shoots. And now that we’ve been seen together in the news, it’s going to be a problem for you, isn’t it?” I changed the subject, needing to stop talking about myself.
“I’ve already messaged my agent, and he’s sorting everything out. I told him to keep you out of all the statements. I didn’t want it to be a point of conflict for you.”
“You should probably go and avoid being seen around me until the campaign next week.” I put my coffee down, trying to hide my hurt from him. He didn’t want to be seen with me in public. Didn’t want to ruin his playboy image by being seen with the same girl more than once.
“What are you talking about? I don’t care if I’m seen with you,” he asked, outraged by my statement.
“You seem to want to do anything to protect your playboy image, Griffin.”
“I’d go to the paparazzi right now and tell them our story if that made you feel better, but all it would do is put the spotlight on you. You would lose every ounce of peace that you have, and I won’t fucking do that to you. Especially after last night.”
He was worried about my peace?
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“They could come after you again.”
“Don’t be paranoid. They don’t know me.”
“Your profile is public, Tate. And there are a lot of sick fucks in the world.”
Just as I was about to tell him he was crazy, the doorknob jingled, and the door slowly started to creak open. Griffin went to stand, scanning the room for something to grab, but there was nothing he could use to defend us.
Dustin walked through, dropping his duffel bag to the ground, coffee and newspaper in hand, as he looked at the two of us, his green gaze lighting up in amusement.
“Well, would you look at that. The dynamic duo is back together.”
CHAPTER 20
GRIFFIN
PRESENT
Dustin Grace was one of my least favorite members of Tatum’s family. It probably had to do with the fact that he spent most of his youth teasing the crap out of the two of us. Or maybe it was because he left Tate when he was old enough to choose her mother or father. I shouldn’t judge because I had done the same thing, but he was fucking related to her.
So when he walked through the door of her condo, I was on edge. I didn’t think anyone else had a key to her place, and my immediate reaction was to find something to attack the intruder with. My next thought was pure rage at the cocky grin on his face and then the old nickname that rolled off his lips.
The last time I saw him, he was easily a foot taller than me, and that made him teasing me a whole lot easier, but now…well, now, I towered over him. Standing to greet him, I shook his hand and took great pleasure in the shock that transformed his once cocky expression.
I wasn’t a kid anymore.
“Dustin, you were supposed to get here two days ago. What are you doing here now?” Tate didn’t stand to greet him. No hug,no smile, no affection at all. So they were still on the outs.Good to know.Hell, she crossed her arms across her chest, naturally pushing her tits up, which gave me a nice eyeful, which I, of course, didn’t focus on. Shaking thoughts of Tate’s very full breasts from my mind, I focused on her dipshit brother.
“Came to have that dinner you wanted and to talk about Dad. Wasn’t expecting you to have company. Last time we spoke, you never mentioned a boyfriend.”
