“What about my sister?” Though subtle, Tyler’s tone held a slight edge. He’d adopted his protective older brother persona.
“What about her?”
Tyler peeled back the wrapper of his protein bar, though his eyes remained fixed on Christian. “I think you know.”
Christian sighed. He couldn’t keep playing dumb about his feelings in front of his friend. It was time to come clean. “I’m in love with her.”
His buddy’s expression remained unchanged. “Duh.”
“You knew?” After being so protective of Hallie, Christian had expected some kind of reaction from his friend.
“Of course I knew.” Tyler pushed back his chair. “Shall I present Exhibit A?” Tugging open the freezer door, he waved his hand in front of the shelves where Christian had crammed Hallie’s two remaining cakes. Isla’s haunted house had already been eaten. “How many cakes did you buy at the Autumn Festival?”
Christian ran his hand down his face. “Three.” The word escaped as a low growl.
Brad barked out a laugh, almost falling out of his chair. “Welcome to the club, man.”
“What club?”
“The Smitten Guy’s Club.” Tyler shut the freezer before reclaiming his spot at the table. “Only a fully initiated member would go to those lengths for a woman.”
Christian dropped into the chair across from him. “If you already knew, why didn’t you call me out when she showed up that day you were at my house?”
“I know I’m protective of my sisters. But believe it or not, I really do respect their ability to choose for themselves.” Tyler leaned back on his chair’s hind legs. “Plus, Gemma told me not to.”
That pulled a chuckle from Christian. He was looking at the president of the Smitten Guy’s Club. “And you’re not mad?”
His buddy crossed his arms over his chest as he pondered the question. “I’m … concerned. My sister is important to me. Herhappinessis important to me. But she told me, in no uncertain terms, to back off and let her figure things out herself.”
A smirk tugged at Christian’s mouth. “I can’t picture Hallie ever saying those words.”
“That was more my interpretation of it.” His eyes lit with mischievous amusement.
“The question is,” Brad said, placing his elbows on the table and steepling his hands together, “now that your feelings are out in the open, what’re you going to do about it?”
“I don’t follow.”
His buddy rolled his eyes. “Why are you here while she’s at my parents’ house wondering where she stands?”
That gave Christian pause. He’d been so wrapped up in his own crumbling world, he hadn’t considered the possibility that she needed to be reassured that his feelings for her hadn’t changed. Actually, not being with her had made him even more sure about where they stood.
Boy, did he mess up big time. He wouldn’t blame her for considering it a deal breaker. Or at least a humongous red flag.
Tyler must have recognized Christian’s sudden panic. “Can you blame her for being confused? She gets to your house to find you in the same room as your ex, and instead of explaining the situation, you ask her to leave and ghost her for three days. See why I’m concerned?”
“I have to make this up to her.” Christian jerked to his feet. “I’ll call her now.”
Brad arched one of his dark blond brows. “Don’t you think this conversation should be done in person?”
The amount of nervous energy pulsing through Christian’s veins sent him pacing across the kitchen floor. “She’s not getting back until Sunday.” He snapped his fingers. “As soon as the girls wake up in the morning, we’ll drive up there so I can talk to her. Do you think your parents will mind?”
Brad’s mouth quirked up in approval. “There are so many people swarming that house right now that three extras wouldn’t make a difference.”
“Good,” Christian mumbled, his mind already forming the heartfelt apology he’d give to her in the morning.
“Do you mind if we crash here tonight?” Tyler asked. “I need a few hours of shut eye, so I don’t fall asleep behind the wheel.”
Christian emerged from his thoughts long enough to answer. “Sure thing. I’ve got a couch with your names on it.”
