Entwined With You

wear
me
out.”
    I threw my sports bra at him.
    He caught it deftly, laughing. “So? Who was it?”
    I bit my lip, not wanting to lie to the one person who always gave it to me straight, even when it hurt. But I had to. “A guy who works in the Crossfire.”
    His smile fading, Cary stepped into the room and shut the door behind him. “And you just up and decided to bring him home and fuck his brains out all night? I thought you went to your Krav Maga class.”
    “I did. He lives near here and I ran into him after class. One thing led to another …”
    “Should I be worried?” he asked quietly, studying my face as he handed my sports bra back to me. “You haven’t had a random screw in a long time.”
    “It’s not like that.” I forced myself to hold Cary’s gaze, knowing that if I didn’t, he’d never believe me. “I’m … seeing him. We’re having dinner tonight.”
    “AmI going to meet him?”
    “Sure. Not today, though. I’m going to his place.”
    His lips pursed. “You’re not telling me something. Spit it out.”
    I sidestepped the question. “I saw you kissing Trey in the kitchen this morning.”
    “Okay.”
    “Things going good with you two?”
    “Can’t complain.”
    Yikes. When Cary was on to something, he wouldn’t let it go. I sidestepped again.
    “I talked to Brett today,” I said as casually as possible, trying not to make a big deal out of it. “He called me at work. And no, he wasn’t the guy from last night.”
    His brows rose. “What’d he want?”
    Kicking off my shoes, I headed to the bathroom to wash off what was left of my makeup. “He’s coming back to New York for the debut of a music video for ‘Golden.’ He asked me to go with him.”
    “Eva—” he began, in that low warning tone parents save for bratty children.
    “I want you to come with.”
    That set him back a bit. “As a chaperone? Don’t you trust yourself?”
    I looked at his reflection in the mirror. “I’m not getting back together with him, Cary. Not that we were ever really together to begin with, so stop worrying about that. I want you there because I think you’ll have fun and I don’t want to lead Brett on. He agreed we’d go as friends, but I think the concept needs to be drummed into him, just to be safe. And fair.”
    “You should’ve said no.”
    “I tried.”
    “No is no, baby girl. Not that difficult.”
    “Shut up!” I scrubbed at one eye with a makeup remover towelette.“It’s bad enough I got guilted into going! You thought it’d be funny for me to attend that concert without knowing who I’d see there. I don’t need shit from you.”
    Because I was sure to get enough of that from Gideon …
    Cary scowled. “What the hell do you have to feel guilty for?”
    “Brett got his ass kicked because of me!”
    “Nooo, he got an ass-kicking because he kissed a beautiful girl without thinking about the consequences. He should’ve expected you to be taken. And what burrowed up your anal cavity and rotted?”
    “I don’t need a lecture about Brett, okay?” What I needed was Cary’s take on my relationship with Gideon and the concerns I had, but I couldn’t reach out to my best friend. That made everything going wrong in my life even more unsettling. I felt totally alone and adrift. “I’ve told you, I’m not taking that road again.”
    “Glad to hear it.”
    I told him what I could of the truth, because I knew he wouldn’t judge. “I’m still in love with Gideon.”
    “Of course you are,” he agreed simply. “For what it’s worth, I’m sure your breakup is eating at him, too.”
    I hugged him. “Thank you.”
    “For what?”
    “Being you.”
    He snorted. “I’m not saying you should wait for him. Whatever Cross’s deal is doesn’t matter—he snoozes, he loses. But I don’t think you’re ready to jump into some other dude’s bed. You can’t do casual sex, Eva. It means something to you; that’s why you get so fucked up when you just give it away.”
    “It never works,” I agreed, stepping away to finish cleaning my face. “Will you go with me to the video premiere?”
    “Yeah, I’ll go.”
    “Want to bring Trey or Tatiana?”
    Shakinghis head, he turned to the mirror and arranged his hair with practiced sweeps of his hands. “Then it’d be like a double date. Better if I’m the third wheel. More impact.”
    I watched his reflection, my mouth curving in a soft smile. “I love you.”
    He blew me a kiss. “Then take care of