“Woman, it is on you!”
“But if you cut me loose? All bets are off. Thomas loves me. He’ll do everything he can to make me happy—unlike you. It might be nice to have a tame boyfriend for a while.”
I hang up and turn my phone off. It’s a calculated risk, I can admit that. Still, it’s one I need to take. If Dom thinks he can lay down the law to me, he needs to think again. I won’t let him play me for a fool. He needs to realize that he’s risking losing me forever. I smile. Once he realizes I’m willing to walk away—into the arms of his brother—he’ll come around. We’re too good together for him to let me slip through his hands.
Chapter 22
Thomas
I drove Lyla back to her dorm and dropped her off. I kissed her again, too. It’s dangerous—this game I’m playing. I spent most of last night kissing and touching her. We never go all the way, but I need to stop this. I keep meaning to—keep trying to be brave enough to tell Lyla that I’m not the man for her.
I also keep failing.
I know it’s mostly because I love the way Lyla makes me feel. She doesn’t see me as less. She cares about me, and she makes sure to show it in a hundred different ways. I never feel less in her eyes, either. Hell, most of the time she looks at me like I could capture the moon. I find myself wishing I could do it. She deserves that.
But I’m not the man for her.
I can’t bring her around and introduce her to my family. How would that work? Everyone would see that she looks so much like Gabby it’s uncanny. I can see the judgment and pity in their eyes now. Hell, even I’m not sure if the pleasure I find in kissing Lyla doesn’t have something to do with the fact that she looks like Gabby. It’s not all of it, but fuck… it could be part of it.
The truth is I have no fucking idea where my head is at and what I’m doing. That fact alone is just another reason why giving Lyla false hope is wrong. I’m not the man she wants, and I’m not sure I will ever be in a situation where I am. Even if I was, she deserves a fuck of a lot better than me.
I pull into the club, and immediately, I see Dom waiting by the garage. There’s not a doubt in my mind he’s waiting on me. He’s pissed, too. I can see it in his face. I don’t really care. At this point, the last person I want to be around is my brother.
I shut the vehicle off and slam the door once I get out. It makes me a son of a bitch, but I don’t even acknowledge my brother. I head straight into the garage. I’m going to get my bike and check out some places to rent in Kentucky. I don’t know what I’m going to do about Lyla, but I know hiding in Virginia is not the way to make anything better. I’m going to have to make some major changes.
“Nice, Thomas. You can’t be bothered to talk to me any longer?” Dom says to my back.
“I can. I j-just don’t w-want to,” I grumble, not turning around.
He grabs me by the shoulder and spins me around. I stop and look at him. It appears we’re going to have this out whether I want to or not. That shouldn’t surprise me. That’s how my brother has been about everything that involved the two of us. He just assumes I’ll go along, and we’ll do whatever together.
“Thomas, we’re going to talk,” he snaps, his hands on my shoulders.
I grab his wrists and shove him away from me. Dom stumbles back. I see the surprise on his face. It’s then I realize that I never really argue or fight back on anything when it comes to him.
How can I blame him when I should have spoken up all along?
“I’m not in the mood,” I snap.
“Well, you need to get in the mood. You’re barely around. We can’t keep avoiding this. Dad’s starting to get pissed you’re never here. You’re supposed to be a prospect. He’s not going to put up with you being a no show. We had important shit to get done yesterday. He sees you and he’s liable to reem your ass.”
“If he does, then that’s my business not yours.”
“You’re my brother.”
“And you’re not my keeper, Dom.”
“T, if I had known Gabby was trying to play us both, I never would have—”
“Have what? L-lied to me? J-j-just like she did.”
“T—”
“G-get rid of that look. I d-don’t n-n-need your pity. I don’t need anything fr-fr-from you,” I growl, pushing to go around him. “What I need is for you to t-t-t-treat me like a man.”