My Cone and Only

by Susannah Nix

  “At least let me drive you,” Mia said.

  I shook my head as I bent to splash cold water on my face. I didn’t want to talk about it. I just wanted to get away from here so I could be alone with my misery. “I’m fine.”

  “You’re not.”

  “I’m not,” I conceded as I grabbed a paper towel.

  I was hurt and disheartened. Wyatt had let me down. He wasn’t ever going to tell my brother the truth. When push came to shove, he wasn’t willing to put himself out on a limb for me. He’d let me think I mattered to him, but the truth was I wasn’t that important after all.

  I felt like I’d been played, and I couldn’t see a way for us to move on from here.

  The realization made me feel sick.

  “Come on.” Mia herded me out of the bathroom. “We don’t have to talk if you don’t want to, but I’m driving you home.”

  “Yeah, okay. Thanks.” I pushed out the door to the patio and stopped dead.

  Wyatt was sucking face with Brianna Thorne.

  The air left my lungs with a pain so sharp it felt like I’d been punched in the diaphragm.

  They were in a full-on lip-lock. Open-mouthed. With tongue, even.

  My whole body felt cold.

  Numb.

  As I watched, Wyatt detached himself from Brianna. He said something to her, then turned around and saw me. His eyes went wide with panic—and guilt.

  I ran for the parking lot.

  I had to get away from there. Away from him and everyone else. I heard him call my name, but I didn’t slow down. I just kept running, my feet crunching on the gravel as I wove my way through the cars. My vision blurred with tears. I was crying. There was no stopping it at this point.

  I didn’t know where I was headed. I couldn’t remember where I’d parked and wasn’t paying attention to what direction I was going. I was just trying to get as far away as I could.

  “Andie!” Wyatt caught my arm, forcing me to an ungainly stop. He loomed in front of me, the familiar scent of his skin filling me with longing and misery. His hands clasped my shoulders so I couldn’t turn away, but I closed my eyes, refusing to look at him.

  “I didn’t kiss Brianna, she kissed me!” He was breathing hard, his voice desperate and pleading. “I swear, I didn’t do anything to encourage her. She threw herself at me with no warning.”

  I actually believed him. Maybe that made me a sucker, but I didn’t think he’d set out to kiss Brianna. That wasn’t why I was so upset.

  It was because I knew she’d only kissed him because he’d let her think he was interested. If he hadn’t been so afraid of people finding out we were together, she would have kept her tongue to herself. He’d toyed with her, just like he toyed with everyone.

  “Andie, say something.”

  “I asked you to choose me and you didn’t.” The words choked out of me, my voice rough and shaking.

  He pulled me to his chest, and god help me, I let him. I let his arms encircle me and let myself lean into him as he held me. I wanted his comfort more than I wanted my dignity. I needed him. I didn’t want to give him up.

  “I’m so sorry. I fucked up tonight. But I love you.”

  Something inside me snapped at those words. His sweet talk didn’t mean anything if he wasn’t willing to stick his neck out for me. It was just an empty gesture.

  I wriggled out of his arms and shoved him away. He stumbled backward, and when he started to reach for me again, I flinched away from him. “Don’t.”

  Pain streaked across his face. “Andie, please…”

  I shook my head, unmoved by his suffering. “You’re more afraid of making my brother mad than you are of hurting me.”

  “That’s not true.”

  “It is!” I shouted at him as the tears streamed down my face. “You just proved it. I can’t count on you when I need you. I never should have let myself love you.”

  He reeled back like I’d struck him. “Please don’t say that.”

  “Andie?” Josh was running toward us with Mia trailing a short ways behind. He caught up to me and grasped me by the arms, his face creased with concern. “What’s wrong?”

  My chest hitched as I choked on a sob, and I sagged against him, burying my face in his chest.

  “What happened? Why are you crying?” Josh’s voice sounded frantic as he hugged me to him. I guess he had good reason, since he wasn’t used to seeing me cry. He probably thought someone had died.

  It wasn’t that I never cried. I cried plenty. I just never did it in front of anyone. Not since I was a preschooler. I’d always loathed being seen as weak, so I’d learned to hold my tears back until I could do my crying in private.

  Except it hadn’t worked tonight. The sucker punch of seeing Wyatt with Brianna had cracked the brittle control I’d managed to retain over my emotions. And now I couldn’t seem to stop sobbing into my brother’s shirt.

  “Let’s just take her home,” I heard Mia say.

  “What the hell’s going on?” Josh demanded, still holding on to me as he turned toward Wyatt. “Why is she crying?”

  “Because of me,” Wyatt answered in a flat, hollow voice.

  I felt Josh go rigid. He detached my hands from his shirt and turned to face Wyatt.

  “Josh, don’t.” I reached out to stop him.

  His eyes burned with cold fury as he pulled out of my grasp and charged at Wyatt.

  28

  Wyatt

  I stared up at the water-stained ceiling in my apartment, trying to muster the will to get up and take a shower. I’d spent the better part of the last three days drunk. Not so much trying to forget as trying not to think at all. Seeking refuge in unconsciousness. Preferring oblivion to the company of my own thoughts.

  I was sober at the moment, but I didn’t expect it to last. It hurt too much to be sober. When I was sober I couldn’t stop myself from thinking about Andie and the way the light had gone out of her eyes when she’d seen me with Brianna.

  She hadn’t even looked mad, just…empty. Hollowed out. That was the scariest part. I’d seen her mad plenty of times. I could’ve dealt with mad. We could have worked it out.

  I didn’t know what to do about that emptiness though.

  I never should have let myself love you.

  Her words haunted me. They kept tumbling around in my head, leaving painful cuts everywhere they touched. The truth of them etching themselves into my brain matter.

  I reached out for the whiskey bottle on the coffee table and found it empty. With a groan, I pushed myself upright and swung my legs off the couch. The blood rushed to my throbbing head, and I pressed my fists against my eyes.

  The bruising on my face had mostly faded. My nose was barely even tender anymore. All this pain I was feeling was of my own doing. I deserved this hangover as much as I deserved the bloody nose Josh had given me Saturday night.

  I hadn’t bothered to defend myself when he came at me. I’d broken Andie’s heart, just like he’d always feared I would. He’d had every right to give me that beating.

  It hadn’t been much of a beating, truth be told. Just a single, well-placed punch.

  Part of me had been disappointed. I deserved a lot worse than a bloody nose.

  Once the worst wave of dizziness had passed, I dragged myself to my feet and wandered into the kitchen, looking for another drink. While I was staring into my empty liquor cabinet, there was a knock on my door.

  I flinched at the sound and decided not to answer it. It was probably just some dude selling magazines anyway.

  My caller knocked again and shouted at me through the door. “I can see your truck out front, Wyatt. If you don’t answer the door, I’m calling 911.”

  Mia.

  Her threat was a good one, because I sure as hell didn’t want Ryan getting dispatched on a wellness check to my address.

  “Hang on, I’m coming.” I made my way to the door and yanked it open.

  Mia silently took in my disheveled appearance as I cringed
at the godforsaken sunlight behind her.

  She was a tall woman—at least an inch taller than me—and the feeling of being looked down on by her was only compounded by my current state of affairs. Turning my face away from her wordless examination, I gestured for her to enter.

  As she stepped into the living room she frowned at the mess around her. “Your apartment is disgusting.”

  “I know.” I sank down on the couch and leaned forward, rubbing my hands over my head.

  “You don’t look so great either.”

  I let out a sour laugh. “Thanks.”

  Her nose wrinkled. “Or smell so great.”

  “Did you just come here to insult me? It’s fine if you did, I’m just wondering.”

  “I didn’t come here to insult you.”

  “Then why?”

  “I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

  I leaned back on the couch and arched an inquisitive eyebrow at her. “I would have thought I was persona non grata to the Lockhart clan after Saturday night.”

  She didn’t say anything, but I could tell from the way she was chewing on her lower lip that I was right. My ribs ached to think about it. I hadn’t just blown up my relationship with Andie. I’d lost her whole family too.

  Swallowing the noxious stew of guilt and shame in my gut, I said thickly, “I’m guessing your boyfriend wouldn’t be too pleased about you being nice to me right now.”

  Mia gave me a long look. “You were nice to me after I broke your best friend’s heart.”

  I shook my head and stared down at my lap. “That was a different situation.”

  She hadn’t let Josh down the way I’d let Andie down. She hadn’t broken any promises or told any lies. Their rough patch hadn’t been her fault the way this mess was all mine.

  “Maybe,” she said, “but I’m still allowed to be concerned about you.”

  I rubbed at a spot on my T-shirt that might have been either puke or pizza sauce. “I’m fine.”

  “I’d be very surprised if that was true.”

  Her scrutiny made me uncomfortable, as did her concern. I didn’t have any right to her compassion. I’d made this bed of thorns I was lying in, and I deserved every ounce of the misery I was feeling.

  Pushing myself to my feet, I made for the door, hoping she’d take the hint and follow. “You don’t need to worry about me, Mia. So unless there’s anything else—”

  “There is, actually.”

  My steps faltered, and I turned around with a weary sigh, readying myself for some kind of well-meaning lecture. “What?”

  “It’s about Andie.”

  “What about her?” I knew she had to be smarting, but she was strong. I figured she’d recover from my betrayal a lot faster than I would.

  Mia hesitated, looking torn. “I’m only telling you this because I know you care about her, and because I thought there might be something you could do about it.”

  A spike of worry stabbed through my chest, and I suddenly got a lot more awake. “Something I could do about what?”

  “She got a notice yesterday that her HOA had gone ahead and put the lien on her house.”

  “What? They can’t do that.”

  “They did. The paperwork was very official-looking.”

  “For the full amount?”

  Mia answered with an anxious nod.

  “Jesus,” I breathed. Andie must be going out of her mind. She’d never be able to raise that kind of money, which meant she’d lose the house.

  “She didn’t want me to tell you, but I just thought—”

  “I’ll take care of it.”

  “Can you?”

  “I can and I will.” I might not be the man Andie needed me to be, but I could damn well protect her from getting screwed over by my father.

  The first thing I did after Mia left was call Rodney Phelps, the president of Andie’s HOA.

  “What the hell, Rodney? We had an agreement.”

  There was a pause on his end before he said, “You’re gonna have to explain to me what you’re talking about.”

  “Andie Lockhart’s house. You went ahead and put the lien on it even though she made all the repairs you wanted by the deadline.”

  “That wasn’t my doing. The lawyers handle all that for us. Once the HOA hands a problem over to them, they go off and do what they do. I’ve got no part of it anymore.”

  “That’s not what you told me before.”

  “It’s not?” His transparent attempt to feign ignorance made my blood boil.

  “You know it’s not. You told me if she got the repairs done, you’d waive all the fines and late fees and everything would be square.”

  “I don’t believe I did say that. I’m not sure where you got that idea from.”

  “I got it from your mouth when you sat across from me at Dooley’s drinking the beer I’d bought you. You looked me right in the eye while you said it, as you know damn well.”

  “I’m sorry, Wyatt, there must have been some miscommunication. I never said that. And I know you don’t have anything to that effect in writing, which means we never had any kind of agreement.”

  “You lying snake,” I spat into the phone.

  “I don’t know what to tell you, son. Ms. Lockhart is responsible for the payment of all fines and fees levied by the HOA. If she feels she’s been treated unfairly, she can take it up with our attorneys.”

  My teeth ground together. “Tell me something, Rodney. Just to satisfy my curiosity. Were you blowing smoke up my ass from the start, or did my father strong-arm you into going back on your word?”

  “We’re done with this conversation.” The line went dead.

  Son of a bitch.

  So much for Rodney. That left me with only one avenue of appeal.

  My dear old dad.

  “Wyatt! What an unexpected surprise.” My father’s longtime assistant beamed a smile at me when I walked into his outer office suite at the creamery’s corporate headquarters. “Is your daddy expecting you?”

  “Yes,” I lied as I strode purposefully toward the closed door to the CEO’s office.

  I’d known Connie since I was in grade school. I’d been in Cub Scouts with her son Jared, who’d sold me my first joint. She was a nice enough lady, but she was also the Cerberus who guarded the gates to my father’s domain, and it was her job to get in my way.

  “Well now, honey, hang on and let me tell him you’re here.” She jumped up to try and block my way, but I grasped her hand and slipped my other arm around her like we were about to waltz.

  Giving her a grin, I spun her around and out of my way. “Don’t trouble yourself, Connie. I’ll just see myself in.” I lunged for the door and threw it open before she could catch up to me.

  My dad looked up from his desk, startled by the sudden incursion. A droning voice emanated from the conference call speaker in front of him, rambling about quarterly reports or some other mind-numbing corporate bullshit.

  “We need to talk,” I announced as I stalked into the room.

  Connie fluttered nervously in my wake. “I’m so sorry, George.”

  My father held up a hand to quiet her and tapped a button on the speaker. “Folks, I’m gonna need to step out for a minute. Carry on without me.”

  He tapped the speaker again, disconnecting from the call, and offered Connie a tight smile. “It’s all right, Connie. Can you please close the door on your way out?”

  When she was gone and my dad and I were alone, he leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms, regarding me coolly. “Well? You’ve got my full attention. What would you like to talk about, son?”

  I advanced on him, stopping at the edge of his desk. “I want you to leave Andie Lockhart alone.”

  He frowned, looking perplexed, but whether it was real or fake I couldn’t tell. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m not doing anything to Andie Lockhart.”

  “What about King Holdings, LLC?”

  Comprehension came into his e
xpression, hardening it. “What about it?”

  “They’ve been trying to buy the house she inherited from her grandmother.”

  “They’ve made offers on a lot of houses. It’s a real estate venture. Buying and selling property is their business.”

  “What about bribing her homeowners’ association to hit her with a load of trumped-up fines and bogus late fees so they can put a lien on her house? Is that their business too? Intimidating people so you can steal their houses out from under them?”

  “No one bribed anyone.” He sounded defensive, which meant I’d hit close to the truth. “If she’s in violation of her HOA’s covenants, they’re within their rights to assess fines and file a lien until any uncollected fees have been paid. It’s all perfectly legal and has nothing to do with me.”

  “Bullshit!” I leaned forward, slamming my hands on the desk. “It’s your lawyers sending the threats, and your old friend and loyal employee Rodney Phelps in charge of the HOA that’s just now decided to assess three years’ worth of late fees on fines they never informed her of in the first place. You’ve got her HOA in your pocket, just like you’ve got this whole town in your pocket.”

  He held up a hand. “Now listen—”

  I cut him off, too steamed to let him get his say in yet. “You’re twisting the law to your purposes and using your lawyers to scare anyone who dares to get in your way. You’ll do anything to make a few extra bucks and you don’t give a damn who gets hurt in the process!”

  “Well.” The stony glower he directed at me belied the mild tone of his voice. “It’s nice to know you have such a high opinion of my integrity.”

  “Any opinion I have of you has been well-earned,” I shot back. “Tell me, how many other people have you strong-armed with your little scheme before Andie? How many other HOAs have you bought to do your bidding?”

  “What do you want from me, Wyatt? What exactly are you asking me to do here?”

  “I want you to leave Andie and her house alone. Release the lien, clear all the outstanding fees, and make sure the lawyers, her HOA, and your little real estate venture all back off and stay that way. King Holdings doesn’t get to have her property.”