Page 13 of Face Off
His mouth flattened.
“You moved wedding-party arrangements around my breakup,” I continued. “You picked me up alone to ask whether I could stand beside Charm without bleeding across Bliss’s wedding when it involves smiling with her parents for the camera. Every one of you has over a year wondering whether putting us in the same room will make me walk out or put my fist through something.”
“I haven’t wondered about the fist.”
“Bullshit.”
“You haven’t hit a wall since the lodge.”
“That isn’t the point.”
“No, the point is you were hurt.”
“The point is all of you hurt with me.”
Traffic slowed ahead. Cade eased off the accelerator before looking over.
“You would’ve for me.”
“I have.”
“Then stop apologizing like grief is something you did to us.”
“I made it difficult.”
“You survived it badly for a while.”
“I broke my hand, disappeared to East Harlem, stopped speaking to half of you, and turned every conversation into an opportunity to act like an asshole.”
“Your personality wasn’t new.”
“Fuck you.”
“There he is. I wondered if El Cuchillo would make a cameo.”
I looked toward the window so Cade wouldn’t see the smile. “I’m serious,” I said. “I’m sorry you had to worry about whether I could handle this.”
“Can you?”
“Yes.”
The answer arrived without hesitation.
Seeing Charm would hurt. I understood that before accepting the invitation, before Cade asked me to be his best man and before the wedding schedule appeared in my inbox with Charm’s name beside mine.
Pain wasn’t a surprise waiting at Oheka Castle. It had lived with me long enough to stop needing directions.
“I have no intention of throwing stones at her,” I said. “I don’t want revenge. I don’t need Charm to suffer because I did. I’ll be polite, help her with whatever needs to be done, and stay out of her way when we aren’t required to work together.”
Cade watched the road. “Are you over her?”
The question entered quietly. I leaned my head against the seat and looked through the windshield while the truth arranged itself.
“I’m past it.”
“That wasn’t what I asked.”
“I doubt I’ll ever be over it.”
