looking at an emotionally fraught situation.
“It’s been great hanging out with you,” Zane said, wishing Steele could’ve met Wyatt. Their personalities were so similar. They would’ve bonded over megabytes and data uploads.
“You’re not going to get all teary and shit, are you?”
Zane fake knuckled his eyes. “Not over you.”
Chantal, on the other hand? Every time their last conversation played over in his head, he wanted to thump something. Or bawl.
“Something else went down in LA?” Wyatt studied him. “You haven’t mentioned Chantal, and I know you were both buzzed before you left.”
Zane didn’t want to talk about Chantal. Because if he did, he was afraid he wouldn’t be able to stop.
He’d put himself out there and she’d walked away. Kicked him where it hurt the most, his frigging heart. Ironic, considering he’d wanted more than a quick fuck this time and he’d got so much more. More pain than what it was worth.
He had to downplay the disaster with Chantal. Because he knew how this would play out. He’d offload, Wyatt would offer sane, logical advice and he’d be tempted to head over to her place ASAP to demand the truth. Because he didn’t buy the way she’d ended things, not for a second.
“What we had was casual, no biggie.”
The way his gut twisted reinforced he’d just uttered the lie of the year.
“So why are you looking like the dog just ate your football boot?”
Zane sighed, pinched the bridge of his nose. It did little for the dull headache that had started when Chantal had walked away.
“We got together. It was amazing. Then she ended it.”
Wyatt frowned. “That’s weird.”
“There’s more to it.”
There had to be. Because Zane wouldn’t accept her pitiful excuses. She’d withdrawn from him for a reason. And he’d damn well find out what it was now he was back in Vegas.
He didn’t want to head home only to wish he’d followed up with her. This entire trip had been about not wanting to have regrets: meeting his father, his brothers, putting some of his resentment to rest. No way in hell did he want to be regretting anything when he was back in Melbourne.
“I think Christopher had something to do with it,” Zane said, his suspicions solidifying once voiced. “I wanted them to meet, to discuss the sponsorship deal for the new footy league in Nevada. But when I arrived, Christopher looked like he’d sucked on a lemon and I heard her say something about him equating her with shit he’d stepped in.”
Wyatt winced. “Fuck, that’s bad.”
“Yeah, but we didn’t get around to talking about it ‘til later, when she ended it. She said Christopher despised her club so wouldn’t do the sponsorship deal with her.” Zane shook his head. “But she wouldn’t end our relationship over Christopher’s narrow-mindedness, not after the way we connected, so there has to be more to it, but damned if I know what it is.”
On the plane ride back to Vegas, he’d rehashed every moment they’d spent together in LA, replayed every conversation, and he was still no wiser as to why Chantal had left him hanging like that.
“I shouldn’t be this cut up. I’m heading home soon, she lives here. It would’ve had an expiry date anyway.”
Wyatt mumbled some vague agreement but by his dart-away glance, Zane knew he had more to say.
“What do you think?”
Wyatt puffed out his cheeks, blew out a breath. “From what I’ve seen, you two are good together. You’ve got that thing couples who really connect have. It’s rather nauseating, actually, the way you look at each other. So maybe you’re giving up too easily?”
Zane hated that Wyatt’s observation had a kernel of truth.
“Even if I stick around, there’s still an expiration date on this.” Which was one of the reasons Chantal had given him to end it. Logically, she was right, but he wanted to live in the moment, not live a life of regrets. Not anymore.
“How long were you willing to
“It’s been great hanging out with you,” Zane said, wishing Steele could’ve met Wyatt. Their personalities were so similar. They would’ve bonded over megabytes and data uploads.
“You’re not going to get all teary and shit, are you?”
Zane fake knuckled his eyes. “Not over you.”
Chantal, on the other hand? Every time their last conversation played over in his head, he wanted to thump something. Or bawl.
“Something else went down in LA?” Wyatt studied him. “You haven’t mentioned Chantal, and I know you were both buzzed before you left.”
Zane didn’t want to talk about Chantal. Because if he did, he was afraid he wouldn’t be able to stop.
He’d put himself out there and she’d walked away. Kicked him where it hurt the most, his frigging heart. Ironic, considering he’d wanted more than a quick fuck this time and he’d got so much more. More pain than what it was worth.
He had to downplay the disaster with Chantal. Because he knew how this would play out. He’d offload, Wyatt would offer sane, logical advice and he’d be tempted to head over to her place ASAP to demand the truth. Because he didn’t buy the way she’d ended things, not for a second.
“What we had was casual, no biggie.”
The way his gut twisted reinforced he’d just uttered the lie of the year.
“So why are you looking like the dog just ate your football boot?”
Zane sighed, pinched the bridge of his nose. It did little for the dull headache that had started when Chantal had walked away.
“We got together. It was amazing. Then she ended it.”
Wyatt frowned. “That’s weird.”
“There’s more to it.”
There had to be. Because Zane wouldn’t accept her pitiful excuses. She’d withdrawn from him for a reason. And he’d damn well find out what it was now he was back in Vegas.
He didn’t want to head home only to wish he’d followed up with her. This entire trip had been about not wanting to have regrets: meeting his father, his brothers, putting some of his resentment to rest. No way in hell did he want to be regretting anything when he was back in Melbourne.
“I think Christopher had something to do with it,” Zane said, his suspicions solidifying once voiced. “I wanted them to meet, to discuss the sponsorship deal for the new footy league in Nevada. But when I arrived, Christopher looked like he’d sucked on a lemon and I heard her say something about him equating her with shit he’d stepped in.”
Wyatt winced. “Fuck, that’s bad.”
“Yeah, but we didn’t get around to talking about it ‘til later, when she ended it. She said Christopher despised her club so wouldn’t do the sponsorship deal with her.” Zane shook his head. “But she wouldn’t end our relationship over Christopher’s narrow-mindedness, not after the way we connected, so there has to be more to it, but damned if I know what it is.”
On the plane ride back to Vegas, he’d rehashed every moment they’d spent together in LA, replayed every conversation, and he was still no wiser as to why Chantal had left him hanging like that.
“I shouldn’t be this cut up. I’m heading home soon, she lives here. It would’ve had an expiry date anyway.”
Wyatt mumbled some vague agreement but by his dart-away glance, Zane knew he had more to say.
“What do you think?”
Wyatt puffed out his cheeks, blew out a breath. “From what I’ve seen, you two are good together. You’ve got that thing couples who really connect have. It’s rather nauseating, actually, the way you look at each other. So maybe you’re giving up too easily?”
Zane hated that Wyatt’s observation had a kernel of truth.
“Even if I stick around, there’s still an expiration date on this.” Which was one of the reasons Chantal had given him to end it. Logically, she was right, but he wanted to live in the moment, not live a life of regrets. Not anymore.
“How long were you willing to
Similar Books
