The uncertainty and indecision pissed me off, even after spending the morning pounding the heavy bag at Joe’s. I was almost out of energy and no closer to an answer.

“That bag owe you money?”

I turned to find Tony walking up carrying a gym bag. I hadn’t seen him since the night at the bar when I’d had to cover his tab to make up for the jab to the face. Things with guys were so much easier. You fucked up, you bought the guy some drinks, and all was forgiven. Yet nothing on God’s green earth would buy my way back into Sofia’s good graces.

“I wish it were that simple,” I grumbled as I removed the gloves from my hands.

“Nothing like girl trouble to complicate life. I take it things with Sofia haven’t been a walk in the park?”

“Maybe if that park was filled with landmines and everyone was decked out in camo.”

“Shit, man. What happened?”

I glanced around and closed the distance between us. “She knows about Enzo. She’s always known.”

His eyes widened in surprise. “How the hell did that happen?”

“Saw her brother get killed and never told anyone.”

Tony let out a low whistle. “Jesus. You gonna tell Enzo?”

I ground my teeth tightly together as I took a deep breath. “She made me promise not to.”

“Fuck.”

“Yeah, but it gets better.”

“No shit?”

“She figured out I work for him, and now she’s furious I didn’t tell her.”

“She’s gotta know you couldn’t.”

“She doesn’t see it that way,” I said in a defeated tone. “She’s still hurt that I left, even after I tried to explain that I did it to protect her.”

Tony’s lips thinned. “Well, it was rough for her after that. Once you left, that bitch Brooke Britton made her life at school a living hell.”

My stomach turned at the implication. “What the hell did she do?”

“Guess she had her eye on you and blamed Sofia for you leaving. Used to pull all kinds of petty shit—nothing major, though.”

“Why the fuck are you just telling me this?”

He lifted his hands placatingly. “Easy chief,” he said in warning. “You had enough on your plate, in case you forgot.” His tone was increasingly defensive as I targeted him with my anger.

“You knew how much I cared about Sofia. You should have told me,” I ground out, grabbing my towel off a bench and attempting to cool down my temper.

“It was only a few weeks, then she made some friend who put a stop to it.”

I whipped around, taken aback by his words. “Made some friend? Who?” I tried to picture who she might have befriended in my absence but came up empty. She hardly talked to anyone other than me while we were together.

“Some new kid who had transferred at the semester break. I think his name was Mikey or something.”

A guy? She befriended a guy when I left?