Page 59 of Spark
“I figured I could help you out.” My voice is flat, my mouth as dry as sunbaked mud, and tastes just as gross.
“How did you even know what was owed? Or the bank for the loan?” The vein on the side of his neck pops, as his anger consumes everything in the room.
My stomach turns to lead as I confess my inadvertent snooping. “I may have seen the bills lying around.” At his pained groan, I hold up my hands, getting the words out as quickly as I can. “But I didn’t pay your mortgage or electric or anything else...”
“I can’t fucking believe this.” Shaking his head, Mateo barks out a humorous laugh. “You need to leave.”
“What? Why? Because I did something to make your life a little easier for a month or two?” I knew he’d be upset, but this… A bead of sweat trickles along my hairline. “I could have paid off the entire loan, but I didn’t because I knew you wouldn’t like that.”
Mateo throws his hands up. “You don’t get it. A: It’s an invasion of privacy. B: I can pay my own damn bills. C: I don’t need your help. D: It’s an invasion of privacy.” He roars the last.
Chests heaving, we stare at each other. He’s so stubborn, I want to shake him.
One minute turns to two, and then he drops his eyes.
“Get out.” Spoken just above a whisper, the words pummel me.
“Mateo…”
“Go, Finlay. I can’t do this.” He shakes his head. “I’ll send one of the guys to pick up things and get my car.”
Hit by the conviction of his words and unable to believe what’s happening, I stumble back. “What the… You’re moving… Are we…”
“Done?” There’s a catch in his throat, but his face is all hard lines and deep creases. "Yeah."
He walks out of the room, leaving me weak-kneed and alone, wondering what the hell just happened.
Chapter Sixteen
Mateo
Therumbleofatruck coming down my street draws me to the door. I’ve been expecting Hercules for the last fifteen minutes, and sure enough, it’s him. And Cam is in the passenger seat. My stomach tightens, as do my muscles at the sight of him.
Herc maneuvers my truck into a tight spot across the street. I’m both glad to see them and dreading what Cam might have to say. Maybe asking for Herc’s help wasn’t smart. Especially not when he’s living at Cam’s. He’s not exactly a neutral party in this. Neither is Cam. I can’t believe he’s here too.
I’m lucky that most of my neighbors have their air conditioners running. The hums from the houses on either side ensure that no one is listening through open windows. They weren’t yesterday either, thank goodness. The last thing I want to add to yesterday’s drama with Finlay is becoming the subject of gossip on the block.
Steeling myself, I hold open the screen door. Hercules gives me a sympathetic smile, but Cam’s face is unreadable and the sunglasses shielding his eyes don’t give me any hints.
My stomach is a tangled ball of unease, I take one of the boxes from Hercules. "Thanks for helping, guys."
Herc nods at me and grabs the door, holding it for Cam. In the span of ten seconds, we’re standing in my living room and for the first time in the years I’ve known them, I’m feeling awkward in the presence of my two closest friends.
Cam pushes his sunglasses into his hair. And when his gaze meets mine, I search the sage green for signs of anger, or worse, indifference. "You look like shit, Teo."
Surprised that his first words are ones of concern, I lift a shoulder, acknowledging his assessment. I’m sure I look awful. I’ve been operating between several layers of stress and anger for an entire day and tossed and turned from the moment my head hit the pillow to the moment I got out of bed this morning. Setting the box on the floor, I briefly consider swiping my ball cap from the hook on the wall. The brim would cast shadows to help conceal the signs of tiredness, but now that my friends have seen me, there isn’t any point. "I didn’t sleep last night."
Herc sets his box on top of mine. "Neither did Finlay. He looked as tired as you."
I can’t help bristling at Finlay’s name. Twenty-four hours have passed since he walked out of my home, and my anger is still as intense and bright as an inferno.
I’m also embarrassed.
Embarrassed that Finlay doesn’t think I can take care of myself. Embarrassed that he felt I needed a handout. Embarrassed that all of the times he paid for things when it was technically my turn now seems to be because he felt I needed rescuing. How can he possibly see me as an equal if he feels he needs to bail me out of situations?
Cam slings a duffle bag off his shoulder and sets it beside my TV. "You’re sure ending things is what you want? Isn’t that a little drastic?"
Rubbing my hand over my face, I force out a breath, and with it try to expel the anger that’s been simmering since yesterday. I open the box Cam placed on the coffee table and start mindlessly going through it. "Cam. He paid thousands of dollars.Thousands. Behind my back."
