The heavy feeling in Brett’s stomach made it difficult for him to speak. “Jesus, you were my last hope.”
“What does that mean?”
“Dylan and Carly, that’s like my worst nightmare.”
She rubbed his shoulder. “You have feelings for Carly?”
“Yeah. I’m in love with her.”
Sabrina smiled. “You don’t need my help. One thing was pretty evident to me while Carly and I worked together—she’s been crazy about you for a long time. Just tell her how you feel. Once you do, Dylan won’t have a prayer.” She winced. “That sounded really awful, didn’t it? It’s not that I don’t want him to be happy—”
“It’s okay. I get it. Believe me, I get it.” He sighed. “Carly may have had a thing for me, but according to her, she’s over it. She’s over me.”
Sabrina stared straight ahead as she laced her hands on the countertop. “I’m sorry, hon. I know that’s not easy to hear.”
“What do you think I should do?” He thought of the advice Jaxon had given him, but he couldn’t imagine leaving town if there was a hope Carly might change her mind.
“That’s a tough call.” She pondered it before she said, “Dylan mentioned that Carly was ready for a baby. I’ve never even heard you talk about settling down. You really think you’re ready for that? ‘Cause you shouldn’t do something like that just because you think it’ll make the other person happy. You have to make yourself happy. Stay true to yourself.”
“What about making compromises? Don’t you think you and Dylan could meet halfway?” He probably shouldn’t have asked that, but he had to know.
She threw her head back and laughed. “How would you suggest we do that? Live together part time instead of getting married? Buy a cat instead of having a kid? Have an ‘open’ relationship? You know, because Dyl’s insatiable and I’m on the road more than half the year.”
When Sabrina painted that picture, it sounded impossible, but he was learning that if you loved someone enough, you’d do whatever you had to do to make them happy. Even if it meant making difficult sacrifices.
She took a deep swallow of wine. “I don’t want to talk about me and Dylan. That’s ancient history. I’d much rather talk about you and Carly. You really think you could make that work?” She nudged him with her elbow. “You and I are a lot alike, you know. Different bed every night, different places and faces. That’s what makes us happy.”
“Yeah, but my bed always had a different person in it. To my knowledge, Dylan doesn’t share, so how’d that work?” It was a personal question, one Brett hadn’t been stupid enough to ask Dylan. “Were you with other people? Was he?”
“No.” She bit the inside of her lip. “That was one of the ground rules. If I was sleeping with him, I wasn’t sleeping with anyone else.” She shrugged. “That worked for me ‘cause I didn’t want anyone else. Dyl’s always been man enough for me, if you know what I mean?”
Brett shook his head. “I don’t get you two. You’ve always claimed you’re just good friends, but anyone can see it’s more than that. Why don’t you just try to make it work? Wouldn’t that be better than living the rest of your life wondering whether things might have turned out differently if you’d had the courage to take a chance?”
Sabrina smiled as she slipped her hand through his. “You’re maturing. All of you guys are. I’m not sure if I like that.”
Brett smirked. Sabrina had been like one of the guys forever. She’d shown up at their grand opening party with a group of girlfriends and started slamming shots, smoking stogies in the cigar bar, and hustling professional athletes at the pool table. Brett would never forget what Dylan had said the first time he laid eyes on her. “Man, I’m gonna marry that girl someday.”
Chapter Eleven
Carly was putting the finishing touches on the initial drawings for her presentation at the High Rollers’ office the next day when her assistant announced Sabrina was there to see her. Trying to quash the uneasy feeling in her stomach, Carly rounded the desk to greet her friend.
“It’s so good to see you,” Carly said, claiming the guest chair next to Sabrina. “Are you still loving the new house?”
Sabrina’s smile was a little too bright, almost brittle. “It’s great.”
“I have a feeling I know what this is about,” Carly said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “Dylan.”
“He came to see me last night. He told me y’all are seeing each other.”
“We are. Are you okay with that?” Carly knew she should have called to tell Sabrina herself since they had bonded while working on the house.
“Don’t be silly,” Sabrina said, tapping Carly’s knee. “You know Dylan and I are just friends.”
Yeah, kind of like Brett and I are just friends. “Then you’re okay with this?”
“If you and Dylan are happy, I’m happy.” Sabrina held Carly’s gaze, refusing to allow her to look away. “That’s why I’m here—to find out if you’re really happy with Dylan. Or are you just using him to get over Brett?”
Oh, man. This girl doesn’t pull any punches. “I get why you’re asking that, Sabrina, but—”
“No, I don’t think you do.” Sabrina leveled her with a look that told Carly to keep her mouth shut. “Dylan is one of the finest men I’ve ever met, and he doesn’t deserve to be jerked around.”
What the hell had happened to the fun-loving party girl Carly had worked with to create a dream home that actually brought tears to Sabrina’s eyes? Sitting before her was a tough-as-nails woman determined to get answers, whether she deserved them or not. Carly felt her face flush as her fury built. Sabrina was pulling a Brett, trying to stake a claim on someone she could have had but didn’t want.
Refusing to be intimidated, Carly sat straighter. She was used to dealing with difficult clients, and she’d learned a long time ago the only way to meet them was head on. “First of all, I have no intention of jerking Dylan around. Second of all, you had your chance with him. If you think he’s so wonderful, why didn’t you tell him so when you had the chance?”
“You don’t know the whole story,” Sabrina said, clutching her oversized designer purse.
“I know enough.” Carly got up to put a barrier between them. A little physical space might help to diffuse the situation. Sitting at her desk, she busied herself reorganizing papers into neat stacks. “I know Dylan was in love with you, and you told him you could never be more than friends.”
“That’s because—”
“Let me tell you how that feels,” Carly said, her eyes boring into Sabrina’s. “When you love someone more than anything and all you want is to make them happy—”
“Carly, I—”
“You came here for answers,” Carly said sharply. “Kindly keep your mouth shut and listen.”
Sabrina looked stunned before snapping her mouth shut. Tossing her purse on the chair next to her, she crossed her arms and glared at Carly, waiting for her to continue.
“It hurts like hell when someone tells you that your all will never be enough. That’s the message Brett sent me, and it’s the same message you sent Dylan.”
“I did what I thought was best for Dylan.”
“He thought you were best for him.” Carly gripped a pen as she wrestled with the idea of stabbing Sabrina in the eye with it. She wasn’t really angry with Sabrina as much as she was angry with the situation. Carly didn’t want to hurt anyone, and she didn’t want to get hurt, but pain seemed inevitable.
“You’re all he wanted. You don’t think I know that?” Carly refused to allow Sabrina to see how much it hurt when she said, “At least you were someone’s first choice. I feel like no matter what I do, I’ll always be the goddamn consolation prize.”
Sabrina’s stance softened as she set her hands in her lap and leaned forward slightly. “That’s not true. Brett loves you. He told me so. He’s the man you belong with, not Dylan.”
“Brett only wants me because he can’t have me.�
� Carly wished the truth didn’t hurt so damn much or come at the expense of her pride. “If I were to give him what he wanted, he’d only realize he didn’t want it as much as he thought he did.”
“You can’t know that.” Sabrina sighed, looking despondent. “What if you’re wrong? What if Brett really loves you and you’re throwing that away just because you’re afraid of getting hurt again?”
“As long as we’re talking about overcoming fear, why don’t we talk about what you’re afraid of?” Carly swept out her arm, her chin held high. “You came here to challenge me, yet you’re not brave enough to face your own issues. That’s a little hypocritical, don’t you think?”
“It’s not that easy.”
Carly was stunned to see a woman who brought tough guys to their knees look so weak and vulnerable. “Nothing worth having is easy. Isn’t Dylan worth fighting for?” Carly knew, simply because she genuinely wanted Sabrina to fight for Dylan, that he wasn’t the right man for her.
“It’s not a question of fighting for him.” Sabrina closed her eyes, drawing a shaky breath. “It’s about fighting my feelings for him. You have no idea what it did to me last night, hearing that you and he were thinking of having a baby together. I felt like someone had knocked the wind out of me.”
“Why are you here telling me this? You should be telling Dylan.”
“I can’t tell Dylan!”
“Why the hell not?” Carly was so tired of watching people hold back and pretend they weren’t feeling something they were or trying to force feelings that were never meant to be. “We both acknowledge that Dylan is an incredible guy. He has women lining up to be with him. One day, he’s going to choose one of them, and where will that leave you? Alone and trying to deal with the regret and remorse that comes from letting the love of your life get away.”
“You don’t understand,” Sabrina whispered, her eyes falling to her lap. “No one understands.”
For the first time, Carly felt as though she was seeing a glimpse of the person Sabrina rarely showed the rest of the world. She had a vulnerable side that was terrified of… something. “If you need to talk—”
“No.” Sabrina stood, slinging her purse over her shoulder. “This was a mistake. I shouldn’t have come here. I’m sorry.”
Carly waited until Sabrina reached the door before she said, “Sabrina?”
“Yes?” She gripped the doorknob, refusing to face Carly.
“It won’t be me, but it will be someone else. Someone will take your place in Dylan’s life. There’s a woman out there who will show him how incredible it feels to be in love with someone who’s capable of loving him back. Can you live with that?”
“I don’t have a choice.”
***
Carly wasn’t looking forward to their meeting, but she couldn’t put it off any longer. She and Dylan had agreed to meet for lunch at High Rollers. She only hoped they wouldn’t run into Brett.
The waitress led Carly to a private booth in the back to wait for Dylan, who was apparently in the office talking to the manager. Carly busied herself scanning the menu and checking her messages, but she couldn’t stop herself from perusing the restaurant every few minutes for a sign of Brett.
Dylan met her with a grin and a rueful shake of his head. He bent to kiss her cheek before sliding in across from her. “Sorry to keep you waiting. Duty calls.”
She was stunned to see a bruise on his cheek and a swollen lip. When her eyes fell to his scraped knuckles, her stomach plummeted. “Oh my God! What the hell happened to you?”
Dylan winced, looking contrite. “Brett and I sort of got into it yesterday. He didn’t tell you?”
“No, I haven’t seen him.” Carly flattened her hand against her stomach as guilt assailed her. That was all her fault. If she’d set Dylan straight as soon as he proposed his idea, she wouldn’t have put a long-term friendship and partnership at risk.
“I’m not surprised,” Dylan said, reaching for the menu. “Jaxon suggested Brett take some time off. He’s probably left town by now.”
“He left town?” Unable to tamp down a rising wave of panic, Carly asked, “Where did he go? How long will he be gone?”
Dylan shrugged. “I don’t know. We’re not exactly on speaking terms at the moment.”
Carly covered Dylan’s hand with hers. “I’m so sorry. This is all my fault. I never meant to cause trouble between you and Brett. If I’d known he would react this way—”
“Don’t blame yourself,” Dylan said, squeezing her hand. “It’s not your fault he’s a self-centered jerk who wants what he can’t have. I swear, sometimes that guy has the maturity of a five-year-old.”
Carly wanted to defend Brett, but hadn’t she accused him of exactly the same thing? “He claims he wants to change. You don’t believe him?”
Dylan gestured toward his face. “I don’t know. You tell me. Does it look like he’s trying to change?”
“He’s one of your best friends. You of all people know that he has some redeeming qualities.” They shared a smile before she said, “It may be tough to remember that today, but it might be easier tomorrow or the next day, when the bruises start to fade.”
Dylan sighed heavily as he pushed the menu aside. “I love him like a brother. Nothing will ever change that.”
Carly was relieved to hear that. “I can’t believe he started a fight with you. Because of me?”
“Of course it was because of you.” Dylan smirked. “I’ve got to hand it to him—I haven’t been hit that hard since my days on the field.”
“God!” Carly covered her face with her hands. “What a mess. You’re having it out with Brett. I’m getting into it with Sabrina—”
“You saw Sabrina? When? What did she say?”
If Carly had had any reservations about ending her farce of a relationship with Dylan, they vanished as soon as she saw the look in his eyes when he mentioned Sabrina. “She came to my office today to talk about you.”
“What about me?” His phone rang, but he ignored it. All of his attention was fixed on Carly.
“She was worried that I would hurt you because I still have feelings for Brett.”
Dylan raked a hand through his hair, looking frustrated. “She cares enough to try to protect me, but she doesn’t realize that she’s the one hurting me by refusing to talk to me about what the hell’s going on with her!”
“You want to tell me what happened?” Carly asked.
“I wish I knew.” His face tightened as he rubbed the back of his neck. “After years of just being friends, I felt like we were finally making progress. We were seeing each other, sleeping together, then all of a sudden, bam!” His fist hit the table. “She shut down completely. She wouldn’t even let me touch her. She said it was over, that she couldn’t see me anymore but hoped we could continue being friends.”
Carly thought about Sabrina’s reaction in her office that morning. There was definitely more to the story than Sabrina was willing to share, but what? “I know it must be frustrating, but I think giving up on her would be a mistake. She obviously still has feelings for you.”
Dylan’s gaze was blank, his expression slack. “So you’re telling me it’s what? Over between us before it even started?”
“I’m sorry.” She’d expected Dylan to be relieved, not crushed. “I figured you’d have realized this was a bad idea. We’re friends. I hope we’ll always be friends, but I just don’t think a romantic relationship is in the cards for us.”
“Because of Brett?”
“And Sabrina.” She skimmed her thumb over his scraped knuckles. “We both have some issues to work out before we can think about moving on.”
“I am ready to move on.” He cursed softly before his gaze dropped to their joined hands. “At least I want to be ready. Sabrina isn’t going to come to her senses, and I have to figure out how to move on. I’m tired of being miserable.”
“I get that. I feel the same way. I told myself I was tired of loving a man who
would never love me back, but moving on wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be. I’ve loved Brett a long time, just like you’ve loved Sabrina a long time.” She smiled, hoping to prove that it was possible to find pleasure through her pain. “Some habits die hard, huh?”
“I just…” He dropped his head. “I don’t want to do this anymore. I hate the dating scene. I’ve been out with more women, slept with more women than…” His tanned face took on a ruddy hue. “That falls under the category of too much information, doesn’t it?”
She winked to ease his discomfort as she released his hands. “Not among friends.”
“I meant what I said to you. I see my buddies settling down, and I want what they have. I want a woman who loves me to go home to at night. I want a couple of kids to toss the ball with, a basketball hoop in the drive, bike racks in the garage, and a big dog to—” He rolled his eyes. “Would you listen to me goin’ on? What the hell’s wrong with me? If my old teammates could hear me now...”
“What would they think? That you’re human?” She propped her chin in her hand. “You want what we all want, Dyl: love, security, a partner, a best friend.”
“But you said you were okay going it alone.”
“I thought I was, but maybe I was just trying to convince myself.” She shrugged. “I don’t know. This whole thing with Brett has brought up a lot of feelings I thought I’d buried a long time ago.”
“I know what you mean.” He rubbed his bare ring finger with his thumb. “Talking to Sabrina last night really threw me. I don’t know how I expected her to react. Maybe I hoped she’d tell me she didn’t want me to be with anyone else, that she wanted to try again.” His broad shoulders slumped. “God, I’m sorry. That was a really shitty thing to say. I didn’t mean—”
“You don’t have to explain. Believe me, if anyone understands what you’re going through, it’s me.”
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