Page 109 of Body Shot

“It was more than sex,” I snap.

Marco smiles slowly. “Oh. Was it?”

I drop my head forward. “Yeah. It was. I think I love her.”

“Then stay,” Marco says. “For her.”

“She doesn’t want me.”

They can’t really argue with that.

24

BECK

“Bullshit’s here, bullshit’s there, bullshit’s flyin’ in the air.”

My head jerks up to glare at Marco. “What the hell does that mean?”

“It means you’re full of shit. She’s in love with you, too. Jesus, pull your head out of your ass.”

I grit my teeth and my face tightens. I swallow. “She told me to get lost. She’s got no time for me. So I may as fucking well go back to Boston.”

“What about us?” Cade demands. “You just said you want to be here with us.”

“All in, all the time,” Marco murmurs. “You know the motto.”

I nod. Fuck, yeah. I know the motto. I need to make a decision.

“Look,” Cade says. “You gotta do what you want to do. What’s best foryou.You sacrificed enough. Your family can guilt you into going back there and taking over, but if it makes you miserable, what kind of life is that?”

I rub my face. “Yeah.”

But what kind of life is it here, without Hayden?

“Hayden looked awful when I ran into her this afternoon,” Marco says. “Drained. Exhausted.”

I frown. “Did something happen with her aunt and uncle?”

“I don’t know. She did mention that it had been a rough week, and said something about them. What’s up with that?”

“Ah, her aunt broke her hip a while back and she’s been looking after them. Fuck, hope they’re okay.”

Marco lifts one dark eyebrow. “You’re worried about her aunt and uncle?”

I shrug. “Yeah, sure. They’re people.”

Cade laughs. “You do love her. That’s why you give a shit about her family.”

“Pretty sure she’s in love with you, too,” Marco says. “I don’t think she’s miserable because of her aunt and uncle or losing that grant. She’s miserable because she lost you. When I told her your dad had a heart attack, she was worried. And not just about your dad, she was worried aboutyou.Then when I told her you’d gone back to Boston, and your parents wanted you to stay there, she damn near dropped.”

“Fuck. Seriously?” I stare at Marco.

“Yeah. Jesus, man, you insulted her not only by offering her money, but by never telling her that youhadmoney.”

“I didn’t insult her!”

“Well, yeah, that wasn’t your intent, but that was how she took it, clearly.”

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