“That doesn’t make any fucking sense.”
“What a coincidence. Neither do you.”
I went to flip the latch on the back of the truck. Teller’s big hand slammed over it.
“I can still take you,” I said through gritted teeth.
“You couldn’t then, and you sure as fuck can’t now, but you won’t try, because both of us will have to take an ice bath and pop too many ibuprofen. It’s not worth feeling our age, man.”
I couldn’t argue. I didn’t want to fight Teller. I had enough on my conscience about him. “Why are you here?”
“I don’t know. You’re fucking my sister. Can’t I stop by and say hi?”
“We’re not?—”
Teller snapped his fingers. “Right. You broke up.” He gave me a fake perplexed look. “Or were you even together?”
“We were together.” I’d never said anything with more certainty.
“You sure? You seemed to hide the fact. Only eating with Mama, not seeing the rest of us, going out of town.” He let go of the latch and propped his hands on his hips.
“I had a lot of shit to deal with.”
“Are you saying Summer was some of that shit?”
“No.” He was goading me and I knew it, but I continued defending myself. “She was the reason I did any of that. She’s the only reason I wanted to.”
“Then why the hell aren’t you two together? Why are Tenor and I getting emails from people Summer manages, wondering if she’s okay?”
Alarm spiked hot in my blood. “Is she okay?”
“Melancholy as hell. I’d almost rather see her with Boyd?—”
A low rumble left my chest.
“I said almost. Summer’s not a sad or beaten-down person. The only other time I worried about her was a couple months after Eli died.”
Only twice and both times had been my fault. “Has she ever talked to you about that day?”
“Only recently. She told me that she’d broken up with him.”
“She tried to tell me that in the hospital, years ago, but I yelled at her and drove her away before she could explain.”
He nodded like he’d expected as much. “You had the hots for my sister.”
Shock would’ve floored me if I hadn’t had the truck to lean against. “You knew?”
“Anyone who saw you two pass within spitting distance of each other knew. I felt bad for her.” At my questioning gaze, he shrugged. “She was with Eli. He had hearts in his eyes when it came to her, and I thought, well, she fucked that up. Not that I thought you’d go for her.”
“I was an immature dick back then.” And now.
“You were protective of him. I think you two would’ve gotten together eventually. Years after Eli had moved on.”
But he hadn’t. He never would. He was gone. “I should’ve been there.”
“To do what? Let him see what was gonna go through your mind when you heard Summer was single?” Teller shook his head. “Eli was the opposite of you. You keep shit deep.” He thumped his chest. “In here. Eli turned it outward. It made him one of the most likable guys around, but remember when he’d get in one of his moods?”
Eli had had a hot temper, and he had lashed out when he was hurt or upset. He’d been both that night. “But he’d still be here.”
