"Everything's fine." I said with a shrug, but slowly my nose scrunched.
Mack shook his head in disbelief, then snorted. "I know bullshit when I hear it, Becca. Remember, you and me…we go way back. I know I didn't raise you, but I sure as hell know you just as well as your parents did. And I can tell when something's troubling you."
I tried to clear my face of any expression. I didn't want to talk to Uncle Mack about what was on my mind.
"I really can't talk about it. And trust me, you don't want to hear about it."
"I don't need to hear about it, I can see what this is about. It's about a boy, isn't it?"
"A boy? I know you're my uncle, but please don't talk to me like I'm twelve."
"Fine," he said gruffly. "When you're ready to talk about it, I'm all ears."
I knew he meant every word he said, but I couldn't imagine talking to him about Gideon and my friends with benefits relationship. It felt too much like I was talking to Uncle Mack about sex, which was just weird.
"Thanks, but it's really no big deal. I'll be fine."
"Well, Becca," he said. "I'll tell you right now if there's one piece of advice I can give you about men, it's that we always think with our dicks. Look around this gym. You're surrounded by nothing but testosterone; this is the language I speak. None of us here are any different. We're men, if we see something or someone we want, we go after it. We don't pussyfoot around, especially not when it means something to us. It's when we care about what we want that things change and the power shifts from our dicks to a little more north." He patted his chest with a gentle smile. "I don't know what's going on with you, sweetie, but whoever he is, he's a lucky man if you're spending time with him. I know my niece doesn't waste time with just anyone. If he's worth his salt, he'll tell you exactly what you mean to him."
Uncle Mack’s words sank deep. They were exactly what I needed to hear. I hugged him tight as he patted my back with a smile.
"Thank you for that," I said. "That was exactly what I needed to hear."
"That's what I do. If you ask any of these guys, they'll tell you I give the best advice out there, both in and out of the ring." He chuckled as he wiped at his watery eyes.
I gave him another quick hug and a kiss on his cheek before I left the gym. Gideon and I never had that talk on New Year's Eve, and it was time that we did that. Uncle Mack was right, Gideon told me months ago that he loved me. I knew how he felt, I knew he meant what he said, but I wasn't ready to hear it then so I convinced myself it wasn't real. If we weren't together now, even just as friends, I only had myself to blame.
As I stood outside, I pulled out my phone and texted the man I fell in love with months ago, the man I fell for before I even realized I loved him. I'd do anything to get him back.
Becca:I miss my friend.
Chapter Seventeen
Gideon
The conference room was a fishbowl. Behind me, the windows looked down upon downtown Canyon Cove. The rest of the glass surrounding us showed off a swanky corporate office. Had you told me four months ago I'd be sitting there, I would've told you you were fucking out of your mind.
Mason Abernathy paced the room as he told the shareholders about me. Every so often, I'd catch one of the old farts glance towards me. They didn't want me there. I wasn't safe old money like they were used to investing in with their conservative pockets, but the more he spoke, the more I could see them changing their minds.
Mason wasn't the only one speaking on my behalf that day. Gabriel sat next to me. He started the meeting by telling them our life story of growing up in the South End and how he built the MMAC, his Mixed Martial Arts organization, then segued into his grant to revitalize the South End and the work I did on that.
On my other side was William King, another old money billionaire. He discussed losing his parents at an early age to a robber one night in the South End. He told the board how unsafe the area was and the drastic changes I was involved with over the past year.
Across from me, Xander Boone brought his support by detailing the millions of dollars his fundraiser brought in to support my revitalization work. He explained how decades ago, he worked as a cook at a hole in the wall in the South End after distancing himself from his family fortune. He also outlined the talks he and I had about building my company to help further restoration projects, both publicly and privately.
My final ace in the hole was the Winslow brothers, Drake and Brent. They had already signed up as investors and were willing to match any funds the shareholders agreed to invest in me. Brent was the financial whiz behind that idea, explaining that I didn't want any one group of shareholders holding too large of a percentage of the business.
In the past year I had gotten to know each of these men, but I never thought when Mason first contacted me three months ago about designing a new ranch for him that I would be seated with them presenting a billion-dollar investment plan in my company.
As Mason wrapped up, he gushed about the plans I had drawn up for his home. He hinted at the revolutionary design for his stables as excitement filled his voice.
I reached down and touched my portfolio, making sure it was still there. As I twisted my ring around my finger, my phone buzzed. I glanced over and read the text as Mason said my name.
Becca:I miss my friend.
I flipped my phone over so I couldn't see the screen and stood. It was funny that she reached out to me today of all days. I had planned to call her after the meeting and tell her I was back in town.
I wanted to see her. I wanted us to start our lives together as soon as possible. After months of being without Becca, I realized that I was the best I could ever be when I was with her. She didn't need me to be better or wealthier, she cared about me for me.