The Lady and the Earl by Diedre Clark Page B

years now, and I think you should consider putting a stop to it,” Connor argued. 
    “Are you t rying to make me feel guilty?” Lucas asked with a laugh.
    “No, I’ m simply saying— ”
    “Good because you are failing miserably,” Lucas said, shaking his head. 
    Connor sighed.  “Look, Lucas.  When it comes to women, all you see is the end result.  You don’t even see a woman anymore, just an object to be conquered and added to your list of trophies.  Does it not get old?   Do you not wish for something more?” 
    “What … like love?  I haven’t seen this side of you since… , ” Lucas trailed off.  “Well, it does n’ t matter,” he finished, looking away from Connor and taking a drink.
    “S ince when?   Sinc e Sophia?   That’ s what you were thinking , wasn’t it?   Let’s discuss this once and for all.  You think I was a fool for falling in love with her,” Connor said angrily.
    “Well, look at the outcome— ”
    “I have never blamed her for that!  You were the one who could not handle losing once more to me, so you took matters into your own hands.  Take her before I could.  I was in love with her, Lucas.  I loved her!  Did that not mean something?”  Connor glared at Lucas who couldn’t seem to look his friend in the eye.  A dark laugh escaped Connor’s lips.  “What you failed to notice, though, is I had already bedded her.   For a n entire month before you got your clutches into her .  S o you see?  You still lost,” Connor finished sadly.
    Lucas eyed Connor.  He looked unsurprised.   “I did not do it to win.  I did it because I refused to lose my friend to a lowly maid.  And not just any pathetic maid either.  A maid who did n’t even have the decency to give you her real name until you were already smitten with her.  I apologize, Connor, but I thought she was playing you for a change. ”
    “You had no right !   She was my choice !   If she was playing me, it was my problem, not yours,” came Connor’s defense.   “And I knew her real name.  I simply chose not to use it.  It was her wish.”  
    “ Either way, y ou were too blind to see anything but her .  I knew if you found us together, you would see what she truly was, a gold digger.   But not even that stopped you from searching for her,” Lucas replied.  “It was your own fault your pride was injured .”   
    “What?  I would do it all again just for the chance to be with her.  If you understood love, you would understand that.  It’ s why I cannot blame you for what happened either,” Connor said irritably.  He wanted to blame Lucas, but his friend was heartless.  He didn’t understand needing someone like Connor had Sophia , or Josephine.  Whichever name she went by, she was still his dearest Sophie.  
    “You…do n’t blame me?” Lucas asked hesitantly.  He looked surprised and even humbled.  “All these years I thought… . ”
    “No, I do n’t blame you.  I should.  I want to, but I d on’ t,” Connor answered.  He looked at Lucas long and hard.  “You should stop, Lucas.  Stop The Game before you become so callous you never know love.  Stop before you become incapable of love or any emotion for that matter,” Connor finished with conviction.
    Lucas laughed quietly.  “How do you know I have n’t stopped?” 
    “Because if you had, you would not have told me about Maggie,” Connor said matter-of-factly.
    “ Maggie was months ago, Connor.  Months.”
    “And?”
    “Do you not understand what that means?  I have stopped, ” Lucas replied.
    Connor looked at him skeptically.  “I don’t believe it.”
    Lucas sighed.  “ Look at me, Connor.  I ’ m a mess.  I hardly sleep, I hardly eat, and all I want is a nice d rink to calm my nerves.  And it ’ s all because I have stopped.  I have n’t been with a woman since Maggi e,” he said irritably.  “And it ’ s all because of Allana.”
    “No, no, no, no, no,” Connor said