He looked up at my approach, his face closed off.
I held out my hand and said, “Brock.”
He looked down at my offered hand, then up at me, staring at me for a few beats before taking my hand and shaking it briefly. “Scott.”
“I won’t keep you … I just wanted to apologize for the way I handled things with Gaby.” I was watching him closely, so I saw him nod slightly, and was encouraged to go on. “And not just that, but for the way I’ve acted toward you for the last few years. I was always standoffish, and if I’m being honest, it was because I knew that you liked Gaby. I didn’t give you a fair shot, and I’m sorry for that. I just hope you won’t let this situation affect your relationship with Cal and TJ.”
Brock’s jaw clenched and I saw him take a deep breath, “Look, Scott … I appreciate that you and Gaby are sorry for what happened. Apparently she and I were only dating, although I think you and I both know that I saw her as more than just a casual relationship. I get that the two of you have a history, and now that you’re single again, you took your opportunity to make a play for her, even though you knew she and I were dating.” He kept his gaze steady on mine, and I felt a stab of shame as the truth of his words hit me. “I’ll get over it … I will. And I won’t hold it against either of you. Shit happens, especially when it comes to matters of the heart, but I’m not over it yet. It’s only been a couple days, for fuck’s sake, and all I want to do is get dinner for me and my brothers and get the hell out of here. What I don’t get, is why you and Gaby both seem to think that I’m going to hold some grudge against TJ and Cal. I consider them my boys. Maybe you just don’t know me very well, but it would take a lot more than a failed relationship with a woman to make me turn my back on anyone that I consider my boy. Now, if we’re done here, I’d like to go. Go back to Gaby, and I’ll see you both around.”
I nodded, but he was already turning to pick up his food from the counter, then he walked swiftly out the door.
I’d heard everything he said, and no … I didn’t know him, but as I stood there watching him walk to his truck, I realized that he was someone that I would probably like to know, and I may have missed an opportunity to have a great friend by being such an ass all these years.
When I got back to the table, Gaby was sitting there, drinking a glass of wine and staring into the fire, a small smile on her face. She looked up when I pulled out my chair.
“Did you get lost?” she asked with a chuckle.
“No, I ran into Brock,” I said softly, watching as the smile dropped from her face and a look of concern fluttered over it.
She reached out to cover my hand with hers and asked, “Is he okay?”
I’d toyed with the idea of not telling her that I’d seen Brock, because I knew she’d get upset, but I didn’t want to keep anything from her. I wanted to be open and honest with her about everything. Even if it meant upsetting her a bit.
“No,” I replied honestly. “But he will be. He just needs time.”
Gaby nodded sadly and I squeezed her hand gently, urging her to look back at me.
“He’ll be fine,” I said insistently.
She nodded again, this time with a small smile, and asked, “What are you getting?”
“The carbonera, it’s fantastic,” I answered, bringing her hand up to kiss it gently. “What about you?”
“I was thinking about either the mushroom ravioli or the chicken marsala.”
We enjoyed a lovely meal, despite the initial regret after my talk with Brock, and I was glad that I’d told Gaby the truth about seeing him, rather than brushing it off. I wanted this to be different than any relationship I’d had previously, and to do that, I had to be a better man than I was.
Chapter 26 – Gaby
I felt like a princess.
Sasha had taken me to her favorite stores the day before and made me try on countless dresses, until we found the perfect thing for me to wear to the charity event. It was black and white. Half of the dress black, the other white, with a slit up the center to just above the knee. The shapes and dimensions were fantastic and I was absolutely in love with it.
I was turning to look at myself in the mirror when Sasha handed me a small black clutch.
“Here, I brought this. I thought it would go perfectly.” She looked me over from head to toe, then smiled broadly. “He’s going to shit himself.”
“God, I hope not,” I said with a laugh. She’d put my hair up in a soft, slightly messy bun, with light makeup. I felt truly beautiful, and I couldn’t wait for Scott to see me.
The knock at the door caused me to jump, and my stomach was immediately overcome with nerves. Sasha clapped her hands together and jumped up and down, “He’s here! I’ll get it,” she said excitedly, then took off to answer the door.
I smiled, placing my hand on my stomach and taking a deep, calming breath, before following her out to my living room. I stopped as soon as I walked into the room. Not for effect … but because when I saw Scott standing in the room, tall and lean in a gray suit with a maroon tie, his hair perfectly coiffed and his face devilishly handsome, I simply couldn’t move.
Scott’s eyes started at my black heels and traveled up the slit in my leg, over the black-and-white cutouts of the dress, and landed on my face. The heat in his eyes coupled with the breathtaking smile on his face caused the nerves that had been coursing through me to be replaced with pleasure.
“You look beautiful,” Scott said when his eyes met mine.
“So do you,” I responded as I walked forward to meet his outstretched hand. He leaned down and kissed me on the cheek.