She scoffed, not even looking back at me. “Jay has better things and women to do, Dougie! Come on.”
My jaw worked at her statement. Did she think any woman was better than her?
Dougie barreled on. “We should still talk. I want to keep in touch. I want to hear your voice. I need that. I need to know where we stand.”
She nodded and I saw her love for him still there.
I stumbled back. It was a hard realization, finding that my friend didn’t want to be saved. And she wasn’t mine to save either.
She kissed him, and that hurt just as bad. My mind was scrambling to catch up with the idea my heart had just figured out. Mikka had been my only friend in LA but she’d also been someone I’d developed more than friendly feelings for.
Her kissing him goodbye was the stab I needed to jolt me back to the friend zone.
She turned to survey her place one last time. “Everything is paid through the month. The plants over there”—she pointed toward her dining table—“need to be watered once a day. I’ll remind you when I call.”
He slapped her ass and smiled at me over her shoulder. “Take care of my girl, huh, Jay? I’m trusting you, man to man.”
Would she talk to me again if I broke his nose? I contemplated it for a second too long as she whispered, “Jay!”
I nodded at him but didn’t respond. I was saving my response. I knew sooner or later that I was going to give it. It might not have been that day or the next that I inflicted the pain on him that he had her, but there would be a day.
“Yeah, I’ll take care of her.”
Better than he ever would.