Page 73 of Push

I almost laughed. The last time he’d given me a coffee and one of his magic pills, I’d been out cold for twelve hours.

I shook my head, and when Ian turned to fuss with the machine, I slipped my phone face down on the kitchen counter. Then I stood there, glaring at his back, my anger simmering justbelow boiling point. My fingers twitched.Go ahead and give me an excuse…

Ian glanced over his shoulder. “Everything okay, man?” His eyebrows furrowed when I didn’t reply. “Tobes? You okay?”

“No.”

“Did something happen with Gwen?”

My chest heaved under the strain of hearing her name on his lips. I clenched my jaw. My hand, too. It didn’t help. Anger surged in my veins.

“Tob—”

My fist cracked hard against his jaw, and he slammed into the marble counter with a grunt.

His head snapped up. “What thefuck?” His voice hitched with panic, but he didn’t swing his arm to hit me back. “Fuck!” He touched a shaky palm to the red patch already blooming on his jaw. “Fuck, Toby! What in theactualfuck?”

“Did something happen with Gwen?” My laugh was cold as I stepped close enough to tower over him. “Like how you lied and told her I was out screwing around all night even though I was here? Which of your magic fucking pills did you give me?”

The color bled from Ian’s face until it was as white as his countertop. “A…benzo…” He edged away from me. “To help.”

“Oh, awesome. Best fucking help ever,mate. That was just what I needed after my wife and son were in a car accident. You didn’t eventellme!”

“Toby—I—you don’t understand.” His eyes darted for an escape route. He wouldn’t find one. I was too fast.

“You’re right. Idon’tunderstand how the person who’s called himself my best friend for my whole life would set me up like this. So, you better start talking, because my fist is itching to know what the rest of your face feels like.”

“I—It’s just—”

My palm landed flat on his chest. “Quit stalling.” I shoved him hard against the kitchen cabinets. “Start talking.”

“Toby, it’s…” Ian’s gaze dropped to his feet. He braced his hands on his hips and drew in a couple of deep breaths. “It’s Gwen.”

I glared down at him with blade-sharp eyes. “What about her?”

“I’m…” The bastard didn’t even have the balls to look at me. “I’m in love with her.”

My thoughts scrambled in a mess of confused memories that made no sense. “No, that’s not…” I shook my head. “It’s not…”

“Not possible?” Ian’s laugh was strained. “I wish it wasn’t. And I wish I didn’t do the stupid shit I did, but you and her together… Man, it’s killed me.”

“Sincewhen?”

“Since forever. Since high school. I saw her first, remember?”

“Gwen’s a person. You don’t call dibs, and she’s yours. She’s not a fucking car or something!”

“No, she’s smart and courageous and so fucking beautiful—”

“Stop.”

“And, of course, she chose you. TobySullivan. The captain of the rugby team with the golden smile and the important family name backing him, right? I was just… Ian… Token poor kid. How could I possibly compete with you?”

“It was never a competition between us.”

“Bullshit. You could have hadanyoneelse. You knew I liked Gwen. I was the first person to talk to her when she started at our school. Are you seriously going to stand there and pretend you have any idea how she felt wearing second-hand uniforms? Or how much it hurt when the catty bitches teased her because she read books and couldn’t afford to get her nails done? No…” He looked me up and down and smirked. “I guess you wouldn’t, would you?”

“I’m not like that.”

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