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“Thanks. Now I’m not a dick, I’m a loser dick.”

“That’s not what I mean, Braxton.”

“Then what is it, Stella, because I gotta tell you, I’m really fucking tired of hearing you say she’s too damn good for me.”

She is, though. But she’s not either. We’re both the same, working our ass off to follow our dreams, just because she had an easier life in getting there doesn’t mean shit. I at least had people at my back supporting me and encouraging me. Cara comes from a life of money. I come from a life of people who care, so frankly, I think I had the better life.

“Why do you hate her, Stella? I never took you for being so judgmental but this she’s-better-or-I’m-better isn’t you. You don’t even know her.”

She scrapes her teeth over her lip piercing and her chin trembles.

The hell?

“Whose fault is it that I don’t know her, Braxton? She shows up, tells you she’s pregnant, and suddenly you’re hanging out with Cara and Dan and Jenna all the time, you haven’t even let me try to get to know her.”

I jerk in my chair and fall forward, my elbows landing on my desk. “The hell? What are you talking about?”

“When’s the last time you saw Bonnie or Asher, Braxton? You haven’t been to our place since Cara waltzed in here that first day. You think I don’t know you’ve already changed enough since you moved into that condo and then some rich chick shimmies her way into your life and suddenly you’re too good for me? It’s always supposed to be us.”

My head is spinning from her accusations, but it’s the wobble in her voice and the tears filling her eyes that stun me more than what she said. Stella crying?

I’ve seen it once. The day we buried Irvin.

“Stella—” I say, gentling my voice, but she lifts a hand to stop me.

“And yeah, maybe I’m being stupid. But I didn’t think she loved you. Or that you loved her. I assumed you were only with her because of the baby. You pissed me off and then she came in here, all rich and shit like she has any idea what it’s like for us, or for Robbie and I who skimp and save every damn dollar and it’s still barely enough, and you don’t even see my kids anymore. Like you think we’re not good enough to be around her or something. They miss you, Braxton. I miss you.”

“So you fucked up my life because you’re jealous?”

I don’t know whether to throttle her or hug her. Or kick her ass. Or shake her until her common sense returns. “You have Robbie, Stella. You’re married. You have kids. Don’t I get that too? Don’t I get the chance and time to have a relationship?”

“Well, yeah.” She swipes a finger beneath her eye. “But I didn’t think you’d ignore me when it happened either, or forget you’ve already got two kids in your life who are crazy about you.”

I don’t want to admit it, but she has a point. I don’t remember the last time I saw her hellions and I used to be over there almost every week for dinner or to take Asher to the park and throw a ball around with him. And fuck me, I haven’t even thought of them, I’ve been so wrapped up in Cara and our baby and her puking and trying to get her to care about me…

Shit.

I reallyama dick.

I drop my head into my hands and sigh. Who knew in trying to get everything I wanted in life, I’d push aside all the friendships with people who have always been there for me. If it wasn’t for Stella investing her share of Irvin’s inheritance into MadInk I’d never have gotten it started in the first place.

I push off my desk chair and move around, lifting Stella, who’s sniffling and crying out of her chair, and I pull her into my arms.

“You’re a fucking pain in my ass, Stell.” I hold her to me while she cries. “And I’m really fucking pissed off at you for being such a bitch. You could have just told me, asked us over for dinner too, you know. But I should have made that effort too, and introduced Cara to you guys. That’s my fault, honey.”

“Well, this looks cozy,” a man says, and I lift my head to find a guy in the doorway, sneer twisting his lips, shoulder resting on the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest. He’s dressed in jeans and a slightly wrinkled gray polo shirt, but I know exactly who he is. He’s the guy in the photos. “Should I take a picture, send it to Cara, see what she thinks about it?”

Fuck.

Stella sniffs one more time and pushes against me. My hands fall to my hips as she steps back.

“You must be Cara’s friend,” I say lamely. He obviously knows me.

“Yup. Graham. And you’re Braxton. Came to talk to you.”

Awesome. Because the day hasn’t been shitty enough yet.

“Sorry,” Stella says, and I don’t know who she’s talking to because she doesn’t look at either of us. “I’m really sorry,” she mutters. “I’ll go up front while you two talk.”