So…why can’t I be that strong too?
The chair next to me slides out with ascreechand I turn to watch Damon sink down next to me.
“All good?”
He glances as me, mouth turned up into a smile I both love and hate. Because his expression is soft but his eyes are distant. “All good, Red.” A beat. “Except for the fucking phone calls.”
I bump his shoulder with mine, try to coax a real smile out of him. “Burden of being the big boss?”
“Exactly.” He tucks my hair behind my ear, leans in and presses a kiss to the hinge of my jaw. “Eat your food, baby.”
I pick up my fork, oblige the soft order, but as the meal goes on, I don’t miss that he doesn’t touch his plate of French toast, barely sips at his mug of hot coffee.
Mostly, he broods.
And even though I give him the sass he loves and Kylie chatters away, her cheery brightness seemingly impossible to dim—even in the face of all her brother’s brooding—nothing breaks through.
Something I know she doesn’t miss it because her eyes keep coming to mine then sliding to her brother.
Who replies at all the right times.
But isn’t engaged in this conversation at all.
Something is definitely up.
And I need to figure out exactly what the hell it is.
Kylie lifts her brows and I shrug slightly. I have no clue how to fix this. I’ve barely begun to fix myself.
Her blue eyes, so much like Damon’s, turnshrewd.
Even before the words come out of her mouth, I know her brother isn’t going to like them.
I also know she isn’t going to hold them back on his account.
Because she announces, “…and that’s not even the best news because guess what?”
I brace, hold myself perfectly still.
Damon sets his coffee down, seems to do the same exact thing I’m doing.
Kylie, meanwhile, just smiles wide, beams of sunshine practically filling up the breakfast restaurant, and blithely continues on,
“I’m moving out!”
My mouth drops open.
And I watch Damon’s already dark expression grow even darker.
THIRTY-FOUR
Damon
“I told you,”I snap. “There’s nothing there.”
Tera sighs and shoves a hand through her ponytail. “Damn.” She allows her arm to drop to the side and shakes her head. “I think that’s it then. The asshole is going to get off.”
I curse. “The plea deal?”
