Page 131 of The Sidekick

“You can't do what? Mediate?” I ask in confusion.

His eyes meet mine grimly. “I met her.”

My heart drops at the look on his face. It’s so serious, just like it was last Friday.

“You met Tera?” Trevor asks in surprise. He looks at me with exasperation. “Did you set that up? Babe…”

“I didn’t,” I frown and sit back as I try to think it through. Holy shit. “Yoga. You teach yoga, and she started a class weeks ago. That asshole Blaze got her a membership at a gym. It was your gym. What the fuck, man? You didn’t tell me?”

“I didn’t believe half the shit you told me about her,” he defends himself as my anger rises. “I thought you put her in my class to force me to get in the middle. I wanted to fucking strangle you.”

“What did you do to her?” I spit out through clenched teeth. All of my fear wipes out as if it never existed, and I’m ready to break this beer bottle over his emotionless head.

“Nothing,” he snaps back. “She’s a fucking angel, and I’ll kill anyone that touches a hair on her head, you dumb fuck. That includes the both of you.”

I stare back at him, stunned. He’s not so emotionless now. In fact, he looks ready to throw tables and break necks. My anger dials back a notch at his vehemence, and I’m knocked sideways. Then elation starts filling me, along with hope, raising my heart from the dead.

“Are you in love with her?” I demand in a choked voice. “Please say yes, and not just because I’m going to hold this moment over your head for eternity.”

“Fuck you,” he sneers and drinks his beer.

“The man of icy barbed wire has fallen!” I crow in delight.

“Wait a second,” Trevor swipes a hand through the air to get both of our frowning attention. “You’re telling us that you’ve known her for a few weeks, and now you’re what? Are you going to try and manipulate her? Fuck her?”

“I’m not you,” Asher says flatly, and Trevor bows up in rage.

“What the fuck does that mean?” Trevor quickly turns on me, and my heart falls back down into my stomach. He jabs a finger in Asher’s direction. “You don’t need this asshole, and neither does Tera.”

“You lost her trust, mi rey,” I remind him as gently as I can. “Asher is a clean slate, and he’ll treat her like a queen, I know it.”

“You don’t know that,” he snarls back stubbornly. “We trusted Andi to be a friend and take care of her. Look how that ended.”

“I know it just like I knew Tera was perfect for us. Are you going to make me waste another goddamn year trying to get to her? Wait for more shit to hit the fan and leave her vulnerable? Let her run and not do anything about it?” The last part is a low blow, but I’m fucking tired of him not getting with it. “Do you even want her, or is what you said to her true? Is she supposed to be my toy?”

“No!” He slams the bottle of beer onto the table as he yells. “I don’t give a fuck what anyone else thinks. I’m in love with her. I’m not walking away or letting her run again. I just don’t know how to fix it!”

I feel my jaw drop in surprise, and Trevor freezes as if he’s just realized what he admitted. Out loud for once. Damn, I knew Asher could break him out of his funk. If only he had met him earlier!

“Fine, then help us fix this,” Asher breaks into my thoughts with determination. “She’s interested in me, but I don’t have a real foothold yet.”

“How do you know she's interested in you?” Trevor asks suspiciously, and I scoff.

“Look at the fucker, Trev. Chicks probably throw their panties at him.”

“I don’t see why,” Trevor sneers as he looks him up and down.

Emily happens to pass by and offers to get us another round. When we both say yes, she leans closer to Asher, displaying her breasts again as she asks if he needs anything in a seductive tone.

“No, thank you,” Asher deadpans back, not even sparing her a glance. “I’m a lightweight, and I don’t want to get tipsy on the first date.”

Emily blinks and snaps upright, her mouth falling open and closed again in quick order. She glances between us all and backs away slowly.

Trevor glares as I start laughing. “You know how to shut shit down so fast, man. Where have you been all my life?”

“Louisiana,” he says with the faintest trace of an accent that disappears when he continues. “You know her?”

“We work with her,” Trevor says, feeling him out more. “You’re not even tempted? She’s pretty hot.”

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