“So Colten has been a subscriber since you first started your account?”
“That’s what he says.”
“And he never told you that he knew about it?”
“Nope.”
“Okay, let me play devil’s advocate here for a second. Let’s say that five years ago when you created your account and posted your first piece of content, that your brother’s best friend, who you had been crushing on since you were a kid, came to you and told you that he’d seen it, what would you have done?”
I open my mouth to respond but quickly snap it shut again.
“And if he waited a couple of years and then told you, how would you have reacted?”
Again, I have no answer, because I’m picking up what she’s putting down loud and clear.
“I’m not saying what Colten has done and how he’s gone about it is right, because it’s definitely in the gray area, but something that I can tell you with absolute certainty is that I knew that man was in love with you the second I saw you in the same room at the wedding. The way he watched you, making sure you were safe even while keeping his distance, it was like his entire purpose was to keep you safe. And the more time I’ve spent with the two of you together, the more I realize that that is absolutely the case. Colten is loyal to a fault, but if it came down to betraying Cruz or you getting hurt, he wouldn’t blink.” She pauses, allowing me to process the implications of her words.
“You think he loves me?” The words sound stupid even to my own ears, but I can’t help myself. I need to know.
“No, Lexi, Iknowhe loves you.”
I drop back against the pillows, immediately regretting the decision when his scent envelops me. “I don’t know what to do,” I whisper.
“Take the time you need to process everything, but don’t push him away just because you’re scared. It should be very telling that your brother hasn’t flown home to go all protective on you after yesterday’s break-in. He trusts Colten with your life, and knowing what you do about Cruz, that should be your biggest clue of how much you mean to Colten.”
I swallow heavily and wipe away a tear from my cheek. I know she’s right. Cruz is beyond overprotective, and in any other situation, he would have been chartering a private jet the second he heard about what happened.
But he didn’t.
“Thank you,” I say softly.
“I’m always here for you, Lex. Keep me updated, and don’t make it too easy for him. It’s fun to keep these men on their toes.”
I laugh before saying my goodbyes and dropping the phone to the bed beside me.
The elevator dings, and I listen closely as footsteps get quieter before the apartment falls silent.
He’s gone.
An idea forms in my head, and before I can think too hard about it, I’m tugging on a pair of workout leggings and a sweater, followed by my favorite white sneakers.
Once I’m dressed, I stick my head out of the bedroom and survey the space, double-checking he’s gone before moving toward the elevator.
I press the button and hold my breath. There’s a chance he’s locked it to keep me here while he’s away, but when the doors slide open, I can’t help but smile.
Looks like I’ll be getting the space I need.
TWENTY-EIGHT
COLTEN
Leaving the apartment knowing Lexi is pissed at me is harder than it should be, but she needs time, and I need to give it to her.
The least I can do after dropping so many bombs on her in such a short amount of time is to give her a few hours by herself to process everything. Plus, she really needs to eat something, and despite my best efforts to convince her to come out for breakfast, I didn’t get any response other than to tell me to fuck off.
I have a few errands I need to run, anyway. Starting with chasing up the only solid lead I have on who tried to abduct Lexi and ending with picking up my girl’s surprise.
I think she’s going to like it, and I really fucking hope it’ll make her a little less angry at me for…everything.
