still had the power to hurt, and his words just reminded me how stupid I’d been and how easily I’d fallen for a guy’s words instead of his actions. Which was crazy, since I’d fallen for Lex’s actions more than his words. His words had always been cruel, but his actions?
When I was sick, he took care of me.
When I needed him, he was there.
He’d always been there—maybe not emotionally, but physically, he’d been there every single time I needed him—and I was lying to him.
I turned the key again.
Nothing happened.
“Come on!” I tried again. Nothing. Not now! “Come on, baby, you can do it.”
But it couldn’t.
My car was dead.
No lights.
Nothing.
How was my car worse off after coming back from the shop?
I was just about to call Lex when someone banged on my door.
With a curse, I looked out the window and saw Lex, hands in pockets, staring at me.
And the minor tears trickling down my cheeks suddenly turned into a deluge as full-fledged sobs began.
Chapter
Thirty-Eight
Lex
It’s not stalking if you just happen to be strolling by the same restaurant, walking your imaginary dog, or, you know, trying out a new bar in the exact neighborhood the maybe girlfriend is in.
Right?
“Idiot.” I’d never been that guy. Hell, I’d always openly mocked that guy. Clearly, Gabi was tying me in knots. I wasn’t even spying to see if she was doing a good job.
Somehow trying to get her not to work for Wingmen Inc. had turned into me wanting her to be such a blinding success that even Ian would be impressed with her skills.
I’d given her all the coaching I could.
And now she was sitting with Dickface while he leaned in way too close and pressed his fingers against the table, nearly grazing hers.
If I had a knife, I would throw it.
At his shit-eating face.
Instead, I was stuck watching them together.
The only bonus was making her laugh with my texts and then being able to see that he did, in fact, have a slightly small problem with getting his body to pay attention to his mental signals.
“Down, boy.” I chuckled, then about died when he stood and saluted the entire freaking restaurant. That shit should have been on TV.
Gabi looked like she was trying not to laugh, and then it looked like they started fighting after he sat down. Whatever he said, it pissed her off enough for her to throw water in his face.
Twice.
She stormed out of the restaurant without looking to her left or right and made a straight shot to her car.
Which didn’t start.
If I could buy her a car and not have her get pissed off at me, I would, but where would I even find a basket big enough to stuff a car in? And what would I do, put it right next to the Pirate’s Booty like, oh, just saw this at Costco, thought you might need it?
Not only would Ian have me by the balls, I figured she had too much pride to take a gift that big.
And guys didn’t just buy their girlfriends cars.
Right?
Holy shit. She was my girlfriend. Girl. Friend. When did that happen? And why wasn’t I freaking out? Instead, my reaction was the exact opposite. I was elated, ready to sprout little Red Bull wings and take flight. Well, shit.
The car refused to start. With a smirk, I jogged over to her and knocked on her window, only then noticing that she had tears streaming down her cheeks.
“Gabs?”
The window was rolled down. I unlocked the passenger-side door and let myself in, only to have her start sobbing as she launched herself from her seat into my arms.
“Aw, Sunshine,” I clung to her as tight as I could while the scent of her strawberry body wash floated into the air. “He must have one scary dick.”
This only made her cry harder.
“Too soon?” I mumbled against her hair while the heat of her body started making me sweat. “Sunshine, look at me.”
Finally, she pulled away, her eyes swollen. “I just . . . He’s a complete jackass.”
“I know those types well,” I said softly while wiping the still-flowing tears from her soft cheeks. “I’m pretty sure I used to be their president.”
“Used to be?” she teased, hiccupping out another sob.
“Yeah, well, the rule of jackasses goes like this.” I tucked her against my chest, pulling her feet across the console so that she was fully in my lap. “You have to be an ass at least three times