Page 94 of Lavish

“Then what the fuck am I here for?”

I’d been hoping that after over twenty years of friendship with Erik, of growing up next door, of him being my boy that he would offer some type of kindness for this situation. I believed we could figure this out.

“You’re my best fucking friend, man.”

“I didn’t want to be the one,” Erik whispered. “But someone had to.”

I looked away, jaw tight, tears pressing behind my eyes. I refused to let them fall.

“I slept with Serena. Right before the party.”

For a second, Erik froze, every muscle tense, his breath held in his chest.

Then his whole body jerked violently, as if the words were blows landing on him, each one a painful jolt.

“The fuck did you just say to me?” His voice dropped, quiet and dangerous.

I held his stare. If I backed down now, I’d lose whatever dignity I had left. “You heard me.”

He moved so quickly, I barely had time to react before his chest knocked into mine. His hands were already balled into fists, knuckles white and tense.

“You touched my sister?” he hissed, his voice a low, dangerous growl.

I didn’t even get the chance to explain, to tell him I loved her, that it wasn’t just some random shit. His fist connected with my jaw with a sickening thud, a sharp, shocking pain that made my eyes water.

I stumbled backward, the metallic tang of blood filling my mouth.

“I love her,” I whispered, as I dabbed at my lip.

“Don’t you fucking come near Serena. She’s not like those other hoes you sleep with, and I’ll be damned if you ruin her.”

“You don’t care. All you care is that you get the company. Admit that shit, Erik.”

Erik shook his head.

“I can’t fuck with you, Miles. Not like this.” He turned around and walked off, snatching open the door of his truck.

“I didn’t hurt her!” I shouted back. “I care about her! More than you or your family! Y’all don’t even fucking know her!”

“I’ll always love you like a brother, man. But I can’t… I can’t.”

Erik didn’t respond. He spun the car around, tires screaming, and fishtailed back onto the road.

A few hours later, my phone rang, the harsh buzz cutting through the silence of my apartment like a gunshot. I stared at the screen, the name “Unknown” flashing in front of me. I hesitated, then picked up.

“What?”

“Miles Whitmore?”

“Yeah?”

“This is Officer Lawson,” he continued, his tone dropping into something darker. “We’re calling about your father.”

The air in my lungs seemed to vanish.

The rest of what he said was a blur, drowned by the thundering rush of blood in my ears. “Accident” was the first word I caught. My stomach dropped like a stone. “Car wreck.”

“I thought I was going to have to come find you,” Victor said as he stepped into my makeshift office that was now in the King Developments headquarters. “This is your office? Not the nicest view.”