“He’s an asshole, Jags,” she said exasperatedly. “Look, I get it. You have your best-friend blinders on, but trust me when I tell you that Cannon Cage isn’t worth your loyalty.”
“Mia…”
“Everything he’s ever wanted has come easy to him, but he’s turned into this entitled little dickhead who thinks the world should revolve around him and only him.” She tossed her hair over her shoulder as she continued. “If he doesn’t get what he wants, when he wants it, he becomes a little whiny toddler who sulks and pouts until he gets his way. Or if someone does anything he doesn’t happen to like, no matter how big or small, that person is suddenly his biggest enemy and his newest target for revenge. He’s nothing more than a bully to poor little Piper, who hasn’t done a damned thing to him other than be Gabriella Bryant’s daughter. And Aunt Dallas and Uncle Axton don’t put up with his bullshit. I’ve seen him get punished for being such a jerk, but nothing they’ve thrown at him has ever made him truly see that his entire personality is kind of toxic.”
“I don’t want to argue about this,” I told her when she was done. I knew she was right. I didn’t have blinders where Cannon was concerned. I knew how big of a prick he could be at times. But he still had my back, and I needed to have his.
“Look at it this way.” My sister leaned forward slightly and met my gaze. “Let’s say the roles were reversed. What if I was your younger sister and Cannon was interested in me—and I was just as much into him? Would you stand in our way if we wanted to be together? We could be happy and have a future together. Do you step in and try your damnedest to keep us apart, or do you give us the chance to explore what could be?”
I gave it a moment’s thought before answering honestly. “I wouldn’t be happy about it, because I know he doesn’t deserve you, but I would want you both to be happy.”
“Exactly. Even though you wouldn’t like the idea of us being together, you love us both enough to want us to be happy.” She waved her hand up and down in my direction. “And that, little brother, is the difference between you and Baby Cage. Your heart isn’t selfish. Whereas he can’t see past what he wants. In his eyes, the world revolves around him and only him, fuck everyone else.”
I didn’t want to think about that, so I got back to the third option. “One and two are out, so let’s hear this final idea of yours.”
Mia muttered a curse under her breath. “Yeah, okay. I get it. Number three, you show this girl plain and simple that it’s just not going to happen. Since you say she refuses to see that you two don’t stand a chance, you have to make her open her eyes to the truth.” Her eyes brightened once again, and she grinned. “I know what you could do. You should take Shaw to a party this weekend and make out with her in front of this girl. That will show the other girl, and if it doesn’t, Shaw can still beat her ass.”
I sat there thinking about the idea and realized Mia was right. It was the best idea. Only, I would have to find someone else to take to a party and still find a way to get Shaw there to see me with the other girl. “There is a party tomorrow night,” I mused aloud. “Maybe you could drop a hint to Shaw that I’ll be there?”
My sister was practically dancing in her seat with excitement, and I felt guilty for a moment for using her when the ultimate goal was to hurt the girl she wanted me to be with so much. “Absolutely. I was going to call her later anyway to see if she would do a few photos for me to put up around the studios.”
The rest of our dinner together passed without any more arguing over Shaw or Cannon. By ten, I was ready to head home. As my sister walked me out to my car, Barrick was pulling into the garage.
“Does he usually work this late?”
“No, he’s normally home by five most days,” she assured me. “But he and Braxton are tightening security at a bunch of banks around LA, so