5. Dane
Chapter 5
Dane
I stared at the asshole I once called my best friend, trying to control my desire to punch him in his goddamn face.
Why the fuck was Lennox here?
He’d obliterated our friendship years ago with a single sentence, but there he stood, looking at me like nothing had gone down between us.
“Aren’t you going to say anything? Hello is how most people greet their best friends, buddy.”
“What? Wait.” Camile looked from me to Lennox, confusion written all over her face. “He’s that guy?”
“Oh yes,” Lennox replied, as I responded simultaneously with an emphatic “Hell no.”
Camille’s eyebrows rose into her hairline as she looked back and forth between us. “Language,” she scolded. “Which is it? Yes or no?”
Lennox folded his arms over his chest and tipped his head toward me. The asshole was waiting for me to explain.
I gritted my teeth to quell the fury and shock.
“We grew up in the same town.”
Lennox laughed out loud. “Way to undersell it, Dane. You know it’s more than that. But it’s nice to see you haven’t changed much. Still the stubborn hothead from back then. I bet that works for you in your career.”
My molars were in jeopardy, so I sat Daniel on the ground and focused on him. “Go get your bag so we can go.”
My son looked up at me with worried eyes. I hated that I’d put that look on his face, so I forced a smile, then squatted down in front of him. I was determined to be a better father to my son than my dad had been to me.
Daniel placed his hand on my shoulder and looked into my eyes. “Lennox is my friend. He comes to the Youth Center and does math with me. Don’t be mad at him.”
I cut my eyes up at Lennox. His expression had gone from smug to something I couldn’t read. Maybe I’d let him live.
“Everything is fine,” I said to my son. “I’m just surprised to see him.”
He looked into my eyes as he tried to figure out if I was telling the truth. Lucky for me, I knew how to mask my feelings. Most of the time.
“You’re not mad anymore?”
Oh no, I was mad as hell. But for my son’s wellbeing, I could let it go so we could get out of here. So I leaned forward and kissed his forehead, as my anger waned infinitesimally.
“Everything is fine, buddy. I promise. I was just surprised to see them as…” I caught myself before Camile scolded me again. “Adult.”
Daniel turned and looked at his mother, then up at Lennox. He smiled down at Daniel with what looked to be genuine affection. His eyes always gave him away.
“It’s all good, dude. We were best friends when we were your age. We were always like this.”
The asshat looked at me with a smile. “Right, Dane?”
My jaw was beginning to hurt from holding in all the words that wanted to come out.
“Yep,” I said. “It’s like nothing ever changed.”
Lennox stared at me for a long moment. His eyes on me unnerved a part of me. The part that once upon a time used to adore him.
He looked at his watch, then down at Daniel.
“You better grab your stuff. You don’t want to be late for practice.”
My son glanced at me as I ran a hand over his head again, nodding to reassure him. I refused to upset him over Lennox fucking Sanders.
“Okay. I’ll be right back.”
Camile looked at me, then back at Lennox. “I’ll go with you. Don’t forget to use the bathroom before you go.”
When they walked back into the house, I stood and crossed my arms over my chest. Lennox mirrored my stance as we took each other in. He might look like my best friend, but….
“I have so many questions for you, Maverick.”
His eyes sparkled with humor as I tried not to reach out and take him by the throat. But it was impossible to ignore his dumbass reference to my favorite movie when we were kids. Why he insisted on bringing up the past was beyond my comprehension. Couldn’t he read the room?
“Too fucking bad. I owe you nothing.”
I watched as his expression slipped a bit. He glanced back at the door before turning back to me. He was trying to put the pieces together.
“You sure he’s yours? I mean, he looks like you, but….”
I was going to kill him. I took a step closer. “I’m warning you, Sanders.”
He sighed and ran his fingers over his mouth. “That’s not what I meant, Dane. Your dad never mentioned you had a kid. It seems to me Roger would have mentioned him. Does he know?”
Anger clawed its way from my gut, ripping me to shreds inside. One look at him and standing this close activated feelings I thought I’d buried long ago.
“My goddamn parents are none of your concern. What my family knows or doesn’t know is none of your fucking business. That means Camile, my kid, and my parents. So back the fuck off.”
Lennox stared at me for another long moment, and I saw the momentary pain. His expression reminded me of how he looked every time one of his parents had done something that hurt him. He dropped his arms and propped his hands on his hips.
I watched as he looked down at the ground, then ran his long fingers over his beard. There was a time I’d done anything for him, but not anymore.
“I’m ready, Daddy!”
I glanced up to see my son and his mother standing in the doorway. Sighing, I turned my attention to him and forced a smile. I was getting too old for this. Maybe Elle was right. This wasn’t healthy.
“Great! Let’s go, kiddo. I’m thinking tacos after practice.”
Daniel shoved an arm in the air in celebration, then ran to me. “Yes!”
Rounding the front of my truck, I opened the back passenger door for him to climb in. After settling him in, I waited for him to buckle his seatbelt.
“Ready to go?”
He nodded and looked at his mom. “Can we invite Mommy to go for tacos? She’ll be alone.”
I smiled and glanced out the front window where she was talking to Lennox. He was smiling at her, and she returned that look girls had always given the long-haired hippy.
“Sure. I’ll ask her.”
Daniel smiled as I kissed him on the head before closing the door.
Heading back around the front of the truck, I called out to her.
“Hey, Cam? Want to meet us for dinner? I’ll buy you a margarita.”
She smiled but glanced at Lennox before answering.
“He asked me to get dinner with him,” she said, looking at me pleadingly.
I kept my eyes on her as I nodded slowly.
“Okay. Have fun.”
Heading to the driver’s side, I jerked open the door and got in. Gritting my teeth, I took a deep breath and glanced out the window one more time.
Lennox looked up and smiled. I still wanted to punch the cocky fucker. That desire would probably never go away.
So I did the only thing I could do. I shot him the bird.
Fucking Lennox.
On the drive to the park, I tried to get myself back together. Seeing him dredged up long-buried feelings I didn’t want to resurface. I’d put Lennox behind me long ago, or so I thought. But he kept popping up like a cold sore when you least expected it.
He was never going away.