Page 142 of For the Boys
“And do you?” Mitch asked, no judgment in his voice.
“No,” Brent said automatically. Mitch waited. “Well, maybe,” he finally conceded.
“Look, Jean,” Mitch said. “In the entire time I’ve known you, you’ve never had a serious relationship. Until Berk. I don’t know what happened in college, but I’m assuming it fucked you up enough to turn you into playboy Brent. And don’t get me wrong, slutty Brent was a blast. But your relationship with Berkley has turned you into a better version of yourself. The problem is you’re operating on an outdated playbook. Berkley is not your ex. You can’t be the same guy you were in college with her and expect everything to be okay. She’s a grown woman, and she takes her independence seriously.”
“I know that. I’ve noticed I have a habit of leading with my money in relationships. I guess how things went and ended with Ashley did leave me pretty fucked up, and now I feel like I have to use my money to keep women around. But Berkley is different. She never needed to be kept. She loves me for me, and I kept doing things to hurt her. Why did I keep doing that? Why am I realizing this now, when it’s too late?”
Mitch sighed. “I don’t know, man. Look, I know better than anyone how easy it is to just throw your money at things and not bat an eye. But Berkley isn’t built like that. She’s not built to be rewarded without putting in the work. She’s not hardwired to be a trophy wife like some women are. She’s going to be a lawyer, man. And an amazing one from the sounds of it. She doesn’t need your money because she’ll have more than enough of her own before long. She doesn’t need you to take care of her.”
“I know that,” Brent said again.
But did he really? He had spent their entire relationship flaunting his wealth. With Ashley, the wealth hadn’t existed, but the promise of it had kept her hanging around. Brent had mistakenly assumed Berkley was the same. The birthday party, their first date, their first overnight trip to Frankenmuth, the entire vacation to Vegas. He had done all of it because he’d thought that was what he needed to do to keep her. He’d looked at it all as spoiling his girl and letting her know how special she was to him.
Berkley hadn’t seen it that way, he now realized. Instead, she had felt bought. In hindsight, it was now painfully obvious to Brent why she felt insecure.
She thought she wasn’t enough for him as she was.
Time and time again, she had told him that without the money and the fame, she would still love him. He had heard her, but he hadn’t really listened. If he’d been listening, he would’ve recognized a long time ago that Berkley loved him for exactly who he was, money or no money.
He smacked himself in the head. “God, I’m an idiot.”
Mitch chuckled. “Yes, you are.”
Just then, the waiter appeared with their food, and the men sat in companionable silence as voices drifted over from other tables and cutlery clinked against dishes.
They finished and paid. As they exited the diner, Mitch said, “So how are you going to fix it?”
“I genuinely have no idea.”
“I’m sure you’ll figure something out. See you tomorrow.”
Brent thought about their conversation as he walked to his truck and drove home.
Mitch was right; he was the king of the grand gesture.
By the time he let himself into his condo, a plan had begun to form. First, he had some research to do and phone calls to make.
After he settled in front of his computer, a knock at his door drove him up again, and he found his sister waiting to be let in.
“You’re looking better,” Mackenzie said upon seeing him.
“I’m feeling better. I have a plan,” he said as he led her into the kitchen.
“And what is that?” She dropped her bag on the counter and removed a sheaf of papers and a ring of fabric swatches from it before plopping down on one of the stools at the counter.
“I’m going to give a speech at her graduation ceremony that will be a thinly veiled plea for her to forgive me,” he said proudly.
“What?” Mackenzie looked stunned. “How are you gonna swing that?”
“I’m Brent Jean,” he reminded her. “I’ll make a donation to the school, and when they call to thank me, I’ll ask for a favor. Pretty simple actually.”
“You have lost your damn mind, big bro. You’re just going to show up in the middle of the biggest day of her life and force yourself on her?”
“I hardly consider it forcing myself, Mackenzie,” he said. “I gotta go big here. Prove I’m on her side.”
Mackenzie rolled her eyes. “If you say so. But let me remind you, big brother, that Berkley is not Ashley. And if you keep treating her like she is, like she needs this grand display of affection from you to see your side of things, you’re going to lose her forever. I think you’re making a mistake.”
“It’s already done. Speaking of, will you come? And Mom and Dad and Nate? They’ll be in town for my game the next day anyway.”
