Page 21 of My Favorite Mistake

“I love you so much, Connor. I’m going to love you forever.”

He rubbed the heel of his palm across the center of his chest as if he could erase the sudden shock of sharp pain. “I didn’t hit on her. I didn’t do anything.”

“See that you don’t.” Jimmy slapped the table as he stood up. “Your twenty-five percent is riding on it.”

Connor offered a small salute. “Noted.”

Jimmy stepped away and moseyed over to Sylvia, who was perched on a chair next to the merch table. At that moment, Brennan re-entered the club, marching toward Connor’s table like he was on a damn mission.

“You’re the one who needs his dick cut off, Sarge,” Brennan declared as he dropped onto a stool.

“Whatever, Riley. Just stay away from her.”

“Do you get off on making womencry? Because she was crying.” Brennan pointed at him. “You’re an asshole.”

Connor gulped some of his beer. Brennan wasn’t wrong about that, so Connor said nothing.

“Furthermore,” Brennan added, flipping his palms, “What the fuck, Sarge?”

Connor squinted one eye. “What the fuck, what?”

Brennan lifted his hand in the air to snap his fingers and then pointed at the table, and one of the barbacks hastily grabbed a glass and a bottle of scotch. “I’m your best fuckin’ friend, you friggin’ douchebag. Who the fuck was there for you when you were still reeling over not onlyher, but also Morales, and when I still didn’t evenknowyou yet?”

Connor didn’t think he could feel evenmorelike a piece of shit, but Brennan had a number of special talents like that.

Whereas Connor had done a stint in the US Army, Brennan had been a Marine, and for the ten years they’d known each other, Brennan took the wholeSemper Fidelisthing to an entirely different level. Connor wasn’t sure if it was because of Brennan’s skill as scout sniper and the hyper-violent nature of that particular job, but he was the most loyal mother fucker Connor had ever encountered in his life. And ten years ago, when Connor’s world crumbled all around him, Brennan latched onto him, took him under his wing, and helped force Connor’s feet onto solid ground again.

The barback scampered over to the table and set down a low-ball glass of scotch. “Here ya go, Mr. Riley.”

“Thanks.” Brennan sipped from the scotch and narrowed his eyes to slits at Connor. “Do you really think I would do that to you? Go afterher? Who the fuck do you suddenly think I am?”

“I don’t suddenly think you’re anything. I’m just an asshole.” Connor slumped on his stool and tilted his bottle at Brennan. “Just like you just said.”

Brennan’s posture relaxed a bit. “You’re not an asshole, but you are letting this shit rattle you too much. And I get that. Her showing up like this has probably ripped open a lot of old wounds, and—”

Connor groaned. “Can you fuckingnot, Riley?Jesus.”

Brennan gestured flippantly at himself. “Can I fucking notwhat? Call you on your bullshit when I’m looking at you right now and watching you basically fold in half? Who the fuck is going to look out for you ifIdon’t?”

Indignation surged through Connor’s veins, and he pitched forward across the table. “I don’t needanyonelooking out for me, least of all some washed-up jarhead, who’s a year younger than me and still lives on an allowance from his daddy.”

The enduring tragedy of Connor’s life would always be the fact that the horrible things you do and the hateful things you say can’t be undone or unsaid. That’s why Morales was dead. That’s why Liza hated him. And that’s why his best friend was currently looking at him with even more pity and a steadily pulsing jaw.

“This is your fucking M.O., Sarge.” Brennan picked up his glass. “You’re a feral dog with its leg caught in a trap, and if anyone tries to help you, you chew off their friggin’ hands.” He gestured at the door to the club with his glass. “That’s why she left here in tears.”

Connor scoffed. “Liza’s not helping me with shit.”

“Actually, yeah she is. According to Jimmy. She’s here to fix this label, and a big part of that is going after Oscar.” Brennan downed his drink. “She’s going to save all of our asses, in a way I haven’t been able to with theallowancefrom mydaddy,and in doing that, she’s going to save your ass, too. Maybe you’ve suddenly forgotten all the shitI’vedone for you, but I hope you still recognize that without this label, you’ve gotnothinggoing on in your life. I hope you remember what shit was like before we both started doing this. While you’re doing that, I hope you can figure out how to not be so much of an asshole that Liza leaves. Because I’m telling you, Sarge.We need her.”

“You know what, Riley, ifyouneed her so badly, why don’t you just go after her like I know you fucking want to?” Connor laughed bitterly. “You’re way less fucked up than I am, and I’m sure after what I did to her, she’d love to stick it to me by fucking my best friend.”

Brennan rolled his eyes so hard they nearly fell out of his head. “You know what? Just shut the fuck up. Let’s get another fucking drink and watch the rest of this show.”

“Yeah, Iamgonna get another fucking drink.Youcan sit right here and watch the rest of the show.” Connor drained the rest of his now-warm beer and slid off the stool. He stalked to the bar, waving at the bartender and pointing at a bottle of Jameson on the shelf.

When the guy set the glass down, Connor dumped it into his mouth. The thick, warm liquid slid down his throat, singeing his insides on its descent. The physical burn scorched the stab of remorse and self-inflicted heartache, and he ordered another. He downed that one as well, and then forced himself to chug a glass of water before he dropped a twenty on the bar. Glancing at the table, he saw Brennan staring at his phone and used the opportunity to slip away from the bar and push out the back door before his nosy-ass friend tried to intervene again.

And then, Connor began to jog.

---