Page 125 of The Bluffing Game

“I know you liked it. I liked it as well, but this isn’t her home. She was only visiting, and now she’s not visiting any longer.”

“Does she love me?” His lower lip trembles. “Because I love her.”

“I’m sure she loves you,” Brett says. “How could she not?”

“Thank you, Uncle Brett. Can we clean up my boo-boo and then go and see Sage?”

“Yeah,” I say, not knowing what I’m thinking.

I should tell Toby no. There’s no way I can go to the restaurant, see her, and try and convince her to talk. She has nothing she wants to say to me. She’s not going to forgive me. She …

“Try,” Brett says. “Right? If you love her, then you’ve got to keep trying until you get through to her.”

“What if I never get through to her?”

“Then at least you know you tried.” He looks thoughtful for a moment. “You know, she told me that she told Rosie to stop flirting with me.” He shakes his head. “And Rosie listened. Can you believe it?”

“Well, why wouldn’t she listen? It wasn’t like you were giving her anything back. I mean, you’re not interested in her or anything, are you?”

“I don’t know. I’m not made for complications, and Rosie seems like a complication that can disrupt my life.”

“Kind of like how Sage disrupted mine. She really disrupted it. Maybe I’m happy for the disruption. Maybe I’m just happy, knowing I can feel all these different emotions—that I can hurt this badly, that I can want this badly, that I can need this badly. She’s like a breath of fresh air, Brett. Even when I see her, even though she doesn’t talk to me, my world feels lighter. I feel happier.” I take a deep breath.

Never in a million years would I have ever thought I would become this sappy idiot, but here I am.

“I’m sure she doesn’t think you’re an idiot.”

“Yes, she does, and she’d be right. I should have told her, but I didn’t, and I fucked up, and maybe she’ll never forgive me. And that’s okay because at least now I know she’s safe. Parker has been dealt with, and she has her dad. I know Jimmy the Fish will not let anything happen to her, so she doesn’t need my protection.”

“What are you going to do?” he asks me.

“What do you mean?”

“I know the business is struggling. I know your dad’s about to cut you off from the family money now you’ve told him you won’t work with him under any circumstances.”

“I’ll figure something out. I have to. That’s all I have.” I ignore the throbbing in my head. “And you know I haven’t taken anything from him in years. Not since, well, you know.”

“You don’t have to do this alone, Dalton. There are many of us here for you. We can figure this all out. We can figure it all out.”

“No,” I say. “I got this. I’m Dalton Leone. I got this.”

He stares at me like he wants to say something else, and I jump up.

“Anyway, let me go and help Toby before he starts crying again. I’ll be right back.”

“Okay, man.”

I walk to the bathroom in silence. He’s right. I do need help, but I don’t know how to ask for it. I can’t be the weak one. It’s just not in my DNA, and yet I know if I don’t figure this shit out, I could lose everything, and that’s something I can’t even contemplate happening right now. I don’t care if I lose material things. I just can’t lose Sage. After a few moments, I walk back out and sit there so I can think.

“Hey, Dalton.” Brett knocks on the door and opens it. “I need to speak to you. Can you come out?”

“What’s up?” I run my fingers through my hair and grab my phone. “I need to make a call.”

“I have an idea.” He holds his hands up. “Don’t say no before I finish.”

“What do you have to say?”

“Let me lend you a couple of million. It will⁠—”