Never Gonna Happen - Cynthia Eden Page 0,73
barely tolerated him over the years! Whenever he came into a room, you immediately stiffened! You were always extra tense when he was around and—oh, shit.”
Understanding had dawned. She could see it on his face. “Exactly. I was extra tense because he did matter. Because I was nervous around him. Because I wanted to be close, but I didn’t know how to make it happen.”
“But he’s an asshole. Most people don’t even like him!”
“That’s not who he really is. You like him. You know what he’s really like, and it’s not cool for you to rail about a friend.” She paused. “It’s even less cool for you to say that stuff about the man I love.”
His eyes squeezed shut. “Please, I am begging you, stop saying that.”
“Why? The more I say it, the easier it will be for you to accept.”
His eyes flew right back open. “Are you using psychology tricks on me?”
Alyssa rolled one shoulder in a shrug.
“Tell me why you love him. Just do that for me. Tell me why, Alyssa.”
“How about this…why don’t you tell me why he’s your friend? Why you’ve been partners with him for so long?”
“Because he’s brilliant.” An instant response. “Because I’m an asshole, too, and I understand someone who doesn’t bullshit. Because he gets the job done, and I can always count on him to do that. He may drive me crazy at times—lots of times, and in fact, now is one of those times—but I know that he’d have my back no matter what.”
She nodded. “I happen to think he’s brilliant, too. But I also like that he notices the details about me. All of the details.”
“What does that mean?” A furrow appeared between his brows. Antony yanked off his glasses and began to polish the lenses on his shirt.
She put her hands on her hips. “What’s my favorite holiday?”
“Christmas.” He nodded.
“No, that’s your favorite holiday. I like the Fourth of July. Because I like fireworks. I love the way they light up the sky.”
Now his brow furrowed. “Last summer, Sebastian insisted on spending all that money on the company’s annual picnic. I told him that he was wasting money getting that giant fireworks show but he said…” Now his lashes flickered. “He said they were worth any price. I thought he was crazy. Just wasting money. He was,” he added quickly. “But…did he do that for you?”
“I also like apple pie.”
“He had a whole freaking table of apple pies at that Fourth of July picnic!”
Yes, Sebastian had. She held Antony’s gaze. “Do you know the scent of my favorite lotion? The lotion I’ve worn for years?”
“I have no freaking idea. Why would I know that?”
“He knows. It’s lavender.”
Once more, Antony’s lashes flickered.
“Do you know which bakery in town I love the most?”
“Uh, no.” Antony shook his head. “Let me guess, though, Sebastian knows?”
She nodded.
He shoved the glasses back onto his nose. “You get that the man has an insane memory? He can remember everything about everyone.”
Her brother was trying to say that she wasn’t special. That Sebastian remembered the details about all the people he met. “He might very well remember that much about everyone.” She nodded. “But when my life was in danger, when he was standing in front of several hundred people about to go live with your newest tech, he left them all because he wanted to save me. That means I matter to him. Just like he matters to me.”
“I…” Antony’s voice trailed away.
For once, she didn’t think Antony knew what to say.
That was okay. She had plenty to say. She grabbed his shirtfront. “They won’t let me out of this room.” She eyed the cops, then peered back up at her brother.
“Uh, that grip of yours is pretty tight, sis…”
“But they’ll let you out. You’re going out now, you’re going to find Sebastian, and you are going to bring him back to me. Right now, got it?”
His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed.
“Get him. Get him in here. Now.” Because she had to make certain Sebastian was okay. Because she needed him.
And, as she’d told her brother…because she loved him.
Chapter Eighteen
“I’m not saying a word without my lawyer!”
Sebastian glared at the perp through the glass. Of course, the blond would lawyer up immediately. Bad guy 101, and as the fellow’s rap sheet had proven, this wasn’t his first brush with the law.
More like his twentieth.
A quick scan of Dwight Granger’s file had shown that he’d started getting rough with his enemies back when he’d been