Tough Love
Page 122
You’d think he’d beaten up a new fighter, the way they all vilified him.
Leese was the worst. If looks could kill, Stack would have expired that morning. A dozen times throughout the day he’d considered going after Leese, and Leese had looked to welcome it. But each time he took a step in that direction, Armie or Cannon was there, backing him off.
“Don’t blame Leese for caring if you don’t,” Armie had said.
With no idea what that meant, Stack had ignored both men.
Later, when he’d found Leese mean-mugging him again, Cannon elbowed him and said, “You’ve got enough on your plate, Stack. Let it go.”
He’d wondered why no one told Leese to let up, but short of saying, “Leese started it,” which would make him sound like a disgruntled schoolboy, what could he do?
He’d gone back to working out his frustration through physical exertion.
For most of the day Stack hadn’t understood why everyone kept giving him ugly stares.
Then Yvette had showed up, storming past Cannon in a beeline to him.
Yvette never stormed, so she’d gotten Stack’s attention right off. His first thought had been that something had happened to Vanity.
Fear had slammed into him, and he’d met Yvette halfway. “What’s wrong?”
She stopped him with a poke at his chest. “You’re a jerk, Stack Hannigan, that’s what’s wrong.”
Whoa. Stack lifted his hands. “What’d I do?”
“Oh, my God, do you seriously have to ask?”
“Uh...yeah.” Far as he knew, he hadn’t done a damn thing to Yvette. He wouldn’t.
Frowning more fiercely than he’d ever seen before, Yvette grabbed his elbow and pulled him toward the back wall.
Stack looked back at Cannon and saw his friend just standing there, arms folded over his chest, his expression...satisfied.
Well, hell. No help there.
Leese saluted him. Armie looked on the verge of laughing.
When Yvette stopped, they had a scrap of privacy—meaning no one could hear, but they could all see.
See him getting his ass chewed by Yvette.
Enough already. “Look,” Stack started to say. “I don’t know what—”
Tone feral, Yvette growled, “You made her cry.”
Shit. Hating the thought of that, Stack asked, “Vanity?”
Yvette tucked in her chin. “Don’t act confused. Yes, Vanity.” And then with sadness, “How could you do that to her? I thought you were one of the good guys.”
He thought he was, too. With the hairs on the back of his neck prickling, Stack explained, “We argued.” That’s all. An argument. How could he have known that would upset her so much? Vanity was the one who’d betrayed him with lies.
Although, now that he thought about their exchange, Vanity’s side of the argument had consisted mostly of her yelling that she loved him.
Feeling a trickle of sweat track down his temple, Stack rubbed a forearm over his face.
By the time he’d left last night, Vanity had looked only pissed, not weepy. It twisted his guts to think he’d walked away when she might have needed him. “I’ll talk to her.” And somehow he’d figure it out, because lies or not, he cared about her.
“You should have talked before you told her it was over.”
Stack took a step back. “I did what?”
Now Yvette looked near tears. “She’s the strongest person I know, Stack. She never cries, not over anything.” Going all angry Amazon again, Yvette stretched up to her tiptoes. “But you made her.”
“We’re not over. Jesus. Don’t start rumors like that.”
Yvette blinked. “You are.” Confused, she’d dropped back to her feet. “Vanity said so.”
Rage returning to the boiling point, Stack crowded in closer again. “She said she’s through with me?”
Yvette stared at him, then behind him—and yeah, of course, Cannon had moved closer.
Stack knew he’d made a damned spectacle of himself.
No longer looking angry, Leese said, “Vanity got the idea that you were calling it quits.”
As a warning, Stack told him, “Not even, so you can just back up on that shit.”
“Glad to hear it,” Leese said with his own black frown. “Maybe you should tell her that.”
So Leese had been mad at him for upsetting Vanity? Maybe he owed him an apology.
Yvette touched his arm. “She’s not as casual about relationships as most people might be. As long as I’ve known Vanity, she’s never been serious about a guy, but she’d put everything on the line for a friend. I can only imagine how invested she’d be over the guy she loves.”
Leese was the worst. If looks could kill, Stack would have expired that morning. A dozen times throughout the day he’d considered going after Leese, and Leese had looked to welcome it. But each time he took a step in that direction, Armie or Cannon was there, backing him off.
“Don’t blame Leese for caring if you don’t,” Armie had said.
With no idea what that meant, Stack had ignored both men.
Later, when he’d found Leese mean-mugging him again, Cannon elbowed him and said, “You’ve got enough on your plate, Stack. Let it go.”
He’d wondered why no one told Leese to let up, but short of saying, “Leese started it,” which would make him sound like a disgruntled schoolboy, what could he do?
He’d gone back to working out his frustration through physical exertion.
For most of the day Stack hadn’t understood why everyone kept giving him ugly stares.
Then Yvette had showed up, storming past Cannon in a beeline to him.
Yvette never stormed, so she’d gotten Stack’s attention right off. His first thought had been that something had happened to Vanity.
Fear had slammed into him, and he’d met Yvette halfway. “What’s wrong?”
She stopped him with a poke at his chest. “You’re a jerk, Stack Hannigan, that’s what’s wrong.”
Whoa. Stack lifted his hands. “What’d I do?”
“Oh, my God, do you seriously have to ask?”
“Uh...yeah.” Far as he knew, he hadn’t done a damn thing to Yvette. He wouldn’t.
Frowning more fiercely than he’d ever seen before, Yvette grabbed his elbow and pulled him toward the back wall.
Stack looked back at Cannon and saw his friend just standing there, arms folded over his chest, his expression...satisfied.
Well, hell. No help there.
Leese saluted him. Armie looked on the verge of laughing.
When Yvette stopped, they had a scrap of privacy—meaning no one could hear, but they could all see.
See him getting his ass chewed by Yvette.
Enough already. “Look,” Stack started to say. “I don’t know what—”
Tone feral, Yvette growled, “You made her cry.”
Shit. Hating the thought of that, Stack asked, “Vanity?”
Yvette tucked in her chin. “Don’t act confused. Yes, Vanity.” And then with sadness, “How could you do that to her? I thought you were one of the good guys.”
He thought he was, too. With the hairs on the back of his neck prickling, Stack explained, “We argued.” That’s all. An argument. How could he have known that would upset her so much? Vanity was the one who’d betrayed him with lies.
Although, now that he thought about their exchange, Vanity’s side of the argument had consisted mostly of her yelling that she loved him.
Feeling a trickle of sweat track down his temple, Stack rubbed a forearm over his face.
By the time he’d left last night, Vanity had looked only pissed, not weepy. It twisted his guts to think he’d walked away when she might have needed him. “I’ll talk to her.” And somehow he’d figure it out, because lies or not, he cared about her.
“You should have talked before you told her it was over.”
Stack took a step back. “I did what?”
Now Yvette looked near tears. “She’s the strongest person I know, Stack. She never cries, not over anything.” Going all angry Amazon again, Yvette stretched up to her tiptoes. “But you made her.”
“We’re not over. Jesus. Don’t start rumors like that.”
Yvette blinked. “You are.” Confused, she’d dropped back to her feet. “Vanity said so.”
Rage returning to the boiling point, Stack crowded in closer again. “She said she’s through with me?”
Yvette stared at him, then behind him—and yeah, of course, Cannon had moved closer.
Stack knew he’d made a damned spectacle of himself.
No longer looking angry, Leese said, “Vanity got the idea that you were calling it quits.”
As a warning, Stack told him, “Not even, so you can just back up on that shit.”
“Glad to hear it,” Leese said with his own black frown. “Maybe you should tell her that.”
So Leese had been mad at him for upsetting Vanity? Maybe he owed him an apology.
Yvette touched his arm. “She’s not as casual about relationships as most people might be. As long as I’ve known Vanity, she’s never been serious about a guy, but she’d put everything on the line for a friend. I can only imagine how invested she’d be over the guy she loves.”
