Fuck it, they were twins and always had each other’s backs when it counted.“I fucking hate that she’s shutting me out,” he blurted.
“Yeah.”Gavin raised his eyebrows, nodding.Took a bite of sandwich.
Tristan scowled at him.“That’s it?I’m spilling my guts over here, and that’s all you’ve got?”
“If that’s your version of spilling your guts, you suck at it worse than I thought.”He made a circular motion with his hand, encouraging him to continue.“Keep going.”
Tristan set his jaw.Unlocked it.Gavin was an easy target for his annoyance, but it was his frustration level that was making him so damned edgy.And his twin was literally the only person he would ever talk to about this.
“She still doesn’t trust me.Not even after all the time we’ve spent together and all the ways I’ve tried to earn it.”
“Sure, she trusts you,” Gavin argued.“Maybe she just doesn’t want to take the risk of getting involved.”
Yeah, maybe he didn’t want to talk about this after all.
“What do you know about her and her background?”
“Same as you.She was a cop in Vegas before she moved here to be close to her mom and Bristol.”Exactly like he and his siblings had all come out here from Kentucky to be a family again.
He respected that more than she knew, the level of dedication and value she placed on family.That was important to him.
“You guys work and train together all the time.She’s never told you anything else about her background or past?”
“Nothing except she’s really close to Bristol.”With most people, he wouldn’t have cared if they kept him at arm’s length.But that distance from Cassie made him crazy, twisting him up in ways he’d never known possible.“My gut says it’s more than her being the only female bodyguard we have.I think something happened to her when she was a cop in Vegas.”
“Makes sense.”Gavin polished off the last of his bacon.“You check up on her?”
“Course I’ve checked up on her.She just says she’s okay and thanks for asking.”Like he was just another acquaintance.He’d thought about driving over there and showing up at her door but didn’t want to be iced out again and feel even more unwanted.
“You just want to take care of her.”
More than that.Way more than that.
He groaned, dragged a hand through his hair.“I don’t know what the hell else to do.”
“Wanna go for a run?”
“No.”
“Wanna go to the gym and beat the shit out of a punching bag?”
“No.”Well, kinda, actually.
“Well, you better figure out something to burn off some of that frustration.Because that shit is wafting off you like a bad smell.”Gavin stood and grabbed both their plates.“Get outta here for a while.Go for a drive or something.Take a walk.Or a hike.”
“Off a short pier?”
“I mean, if the urge hits, go for it.And whatever you do, donotstop by her place uninvited.”
Tristan considered it.Getting out for a while for a mental reset wasn’t aterribleidea.
“Hello?I mean it.Don’t go there and pull the white knight routine.You’ll just make it worse.”
“Thanks for the pep talk.”
“Welcome.Go on, I got this.”Gavin shooed him away as he carried their plates to the sink.
“Okay, maybe I will.”He paused.“You wanna come?”
