Gavin headed outside and had to book it to catch up with CJ, who was already getting into his car. For a guy who’d been shot, he was moving pretty good. “Hey, did you get my note?”

CJ turned, his face carefully blank, further assisted by a pair of dark mirrored sunglasses. “The note that said you had a meeting? Yeah, I got it. But that didn’t look like a business meeting.”

Surprised at both the tone and the implied accusation that he was lying, Gavin shoved his hands into his pockets instead of reaching for the guy, as he’d wanted to do only a second before. “It really was a meeting.”

“Okay, so what kind of business do you have with a known addict?”

Gavin shook his head. “It’s not what you think.”

“Really? Cuz what I think is that two years ago I arrested that asshole for assault and battery.”

Axel had told Gavin all of this and more, including the fact he’d been stupid enough to resist arrest. “I know. He’s clean now.”

“Yeah? So who is this guy to you?”

And here is where Gavin made his mistake. He knew it as soon as he hesitated, but Axel was fanatical about his privacy, and Gavin had to honor that. “Just a friend.”

“You’re lying,” CJ said.

More like omitting, but Gavin hadn’t asked Axel if he could mention him, and in NA, loyalty was everything. And also, something in the way CJ was looking at him now was really pissing him off. And admittedly, he did not do his best thinking when he was pissed off. “He is just a friend. But that’s not the real problem, is it, Ceej. You think I’m still sowing some wild oats.”

“Not any of my business.”

“It sure as hell is. You really think after the time we’ve spent together since I got back, that I’d do such a thing?”

“You tell me.”

Gavin actually staggered a step back, as if he’d been punched in the face. Sure as hell felt like he had been, and he shook his head, going from pissed to . . . hurt. “I haven’t done anything wrong here.”

“But you can see how I got there, right?”

“I’ve never cheated on you, CJ. I was an asshole, yeah. But not a cheating asshole.” And damn, he was sick of this, of his bad decisions jumping him. Pummeling him. “Look, we both know I have a past. But it’s just that, a past. And that the way I left you sucked. But haven’t you ever done anything you regret, or are you just perfect, then?”

CJ didn’t bother to answer. He just made a disgusted sound and got into his car.

“Are you serious?”

CJ met his gaze. “I realize running off is your MO, but thought I’d beat you to it this time.”