My hands tighten on the steering wheel. “Depends on the situation.”
“What if acting on it could blow up your entire life? Ruin friendships. Complicate everything.”
“Still depends.” I glance at him. “You want to tell me what this is actually about?”
“Never mind. Forget I said anything.”
We pull into the driveway. Marco’s truck is already there, which means he’s home early. Usually, he works until seven or eight, buried in case files and evidence reports.
Inside, Marco’s sitting on the couch with a beer, still in his work clothes. He looks up when we walk in.
“We need to talk,” he says.
Theo and I exchange a glance.
“About what?” I ask.
“Rachel.” Marco sets his beer down. “Sit.”
It’s not a request.
I drop my bag by the door and sit in the armchair. Theo takes the other end of the couch, as far from Marco as possible without being obvious about it.
Marco looks at both of us. “I’m going to ask you a question, and I want honest answers. Are you both involved with Rachel Morgan?”
The silence that follows is deafening.
Theo’s face goes red. I keep my expression neutral, but my chest tightens.
“Involved how?” I ask carefully.
“Don’t play dumb, Archer. You know exactly what I’m asking.” Marco leans forward. “I saw how you both acted at that breakfast. I saw you at the barbecue. I’ve watched you make excuses to stop by Jake’s house. I’m not blind.”
“It’s complicated,” Theo says quietly.
“No kidding.” Marco crosses his arms. “So, I’ll ask again. Are you both sleeping with her?”
I could lie. Should lie. But Marco already knows, and lying won’t change anything.
“Yes,” I say.
Theo nods. “Yeah.”
Marco exhales slowly. “Does she know about both of you?”
“I don’t know,” I admit. “We haven’t talked about it.”
“Jesus.” Marco runs a hand through his hair. “And neither of you thought to mention this to each other? You just both went for it and hoped for the best?”
“It wasn’t like that,” Theo says. “It just… happened.”
“Things don’t just happen. You make choices.” Marco stands up and paces to the window. “Does Jake know?”
“No,” I say immediately. “And he can’t know. Not yet.”
“Not yet? You think there’s a good time to tell your best friend you’re both sleeping with his sister?”
“I don’t know what I think.” I lean back in the chair. “I know I have feelings for her. I know I can’t stop thinking about her. I know this is a mess, but I can’t walk away.”
