Page 121 of Rival Hearts

“You heard me.”

“And it’s his?”

I gasped. “Who else’s would it be?”

Gabe shrugged. “I don’t know. You’re so wise in the ways of the world these days, God knows what you’re up to.”

“Gabe!” I cried out. “You’re being such a dick!”

“Yeah, I know. But I’m fucking angry, okay? I just don’t want you to get hurt, and it doesn’t matter what the hell I do; short of losing myself, I can’t fix the shit they caused in our lives. First Mom and then Dad…” He turned away from me. “Damn it,” he muttered.

“Gabe,” I said softly.

He was furious, and he was being hurtful, but it came from a place of pain and guilt. Gabe had always felt like it was his job to look after me since our parents had fucked up and not done their job properly. But that wasn’t fair on him, and I didn’t want him to think it was all on him.

“I can’t deal with this shit right now,” Gabe said and shrugged me off when I touched his arm. “I’ll talk to you later, but right now… I just need to go.”

“You’re not even going to talk to me about this?”

“Later.”

He left, and I stared for a long time at the door he slammed shut behind him, shocked that he’d shrugged me off and iced me out like that. I knew Gabe needed to process, needed to think, and he always took a step back when he did that. But right now, I needed him to be there for me.

No one else was there for me—except Maya, of course—but I really needed my brother.

And he wasn’t there for me.

I felt completely forgotten and completely alone.

It wouldn’t last forever, that was what Maya and I had agreed, but God, right now, it felt like this darkness would never end.

34

ALEX

“Good morning,” I said to Marina when I walked into the office.

I was in a better mood today. I was still pissed off about everything that had happened the past couple of weeks, but after visiting Dutch Island and deciding I had to move forward, I was determined to be in a better headspace.

I couldn’t keep looking back to a relationship I knew would be doomed. I had a company to run and a legacy to continue. That was all I had left, after all.

“You have two calls from investors you need to get on asap,” Marina said after we exchanged pleasantries. “They both asked me to list it as urgent.”

“Okay,” I said. “Thank you.” My stomach twisted when I saw the note.

Sasha and Henry.

“Anything else?”

Marina shook her head, and I walked into my office. As soon as I was settled, I picked up the phone and called Sasha Martinez. Between the two investors I had to call today, I wasmore comfortable with Henry, so I left him for last. I would deal with the venture capitalist first.

“Sasha,” I said, smiling so it would translate into my voice. “How are you?”

“I’m alright, considering,” Sasha said tightly.

“Considering what? It doesn’t sound positive.”

“I won’t try to sugarcoat this, Alex,” she said, and my stomach dropped. Whatever she was going to say to me wasn’t going to be positive, and a bad feeling settled in my chest. “I don’t think our values align anymore. We had a good run together, and my investment in Blackwood Inc. has been a good one, but I think this is where we should part ways.”