“Rodriguez?”
And you last-named me. Great.I met Audrey’s eyes, unsure what to say and how to save my neck here before I faced him.
“I forgot to lock my door at the lodge,” she said, taking the bold and brave route of honesty. I kept forgetting that was an option since I’d been lied to so often by Beth in the past. “He thought it was his room,” she continued while sidestepping me, “and I’d just been getting out of the shower. It was an accident.”
“I’m sorry, what?” The disbelief in his tone felt like a mercy kill was coming. He’d make it fast and painless, but the end result would be the same.
I was a dead man walking.
“Any news yet? And all good so far with our families? Protected, yes?” Her attempt to redirect Ryder was appreciated, though I wasn’t sure how effective it’d be.
“All safe,” he confirmed. “But you’re not about to speed by what I overheard. Naked. Underwear talk. And what’s the other thing that you’re supposed to forget happened?”
Ah, you know, nothing. Just the fact I almost put my face between your sister’s legs.I was certain that’d go over really well if I actually spoke my thoughts out loud.
“Alex.” At least he’d reverted to my first name. “Why can’t you look at me? What the hell happened?”
“Nothing, seriously,” Audrey whispered, her tone giving away thateverythinghad almost happened.
But it didn’t. And I focused on that while finally manning up and facing my best friend.
Audrey set her hand on his forearm, imploring him to turn his attention on her instead. “There’s nothing between us. You need to relax and let this go.”
Nothing.
Between.
Us.
Those words cut that wound of mine open again, sending me backward and over the threshold of her door.
You’re not mine. Can’t be.And maybe Reed hadn’t correctly Freuded me. What was going on between us wasn’t real.
Just two people thrown together in extraordinary circumstances, mistaking this for something more. That was more plausible than anything else. It couldn’t be that I was falling for my best friend’s sister. It couldn’t be that I ... well, had already fallen.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Audrey
The lie burned as it left my tongue and I freed my hold on Ryder, no longer caring about calming down the bull. Because now all I could focus on was wanting to take back what I’d said, even in front of my big brother.
Ryder circled his hand around my wrist, stopping me from joining Alex. “I need to talk to you in private.”
“Which one of us?” I asked, my stomach in knots.
“You.” He pierced me with those eyes that were just like mine, the same color provided by the man who’d abandoned us both. “Secretary Chandler is due to call any minute.” He let me go and focused on Alex. “We’ll meet you downstairs.”
He didn’t push Alex to talk like I’d expected, but I wasn’t sure if dismissing him like that was even worse.
“Excuse me.” Alex cleared his throat and made his exit.
Then I watched yet another man walk away from me.
“Inside. Door shut. Privacy needed.” My brother was as good at grunting out demands as Trevor.
I decided not to challenge him, given what he’d walked in on. After heeding his orders, I dropped down on my bed, waiting for the full impact of the lecture I felt coming. “Please don’t be mad at Alex.”
His shoulders slumped, the opposite reaction I’d been anticipating. “I’m not mad at him. I’m worried about him. And you.” He slowly walked over and dropped down next to me, the bed shifting under his weight. “I’ve known you were my sister for a few months, but that man’s been my brother for fifteen years, and he has the biggest heart of anyone I’ve ever met.” He glanced at me, half smiling. “Well, now that I’m getting to know you more, probably tied with you in that department.”
