“Iloveher, Dylan,” Gareth says simply, but I feel the weight of his words in my chest. “I’ve always loved her.”
Dylan shakes his head. “You don’t get to say that.”
“It’s true. I’ve loved her for years.”
“So you’ve been sneaking around for years then? Is that seriously what I’m hearing you say right now?” Dylan snarls.
“No,” I say quickly, but it falls on deaf ears as my brother continues to glare at Gareth.
“No,” Gareth repeats calmly. “We didn’t act on it until now.”
“I trusted you,” Dylan says, his voice laced with betrayal.
“Stop talking about me like I’m not in the goddamn room!” I shout, fed up with being left out of the conversation. I step closer, shoving my brother’s shoulder. “Listento us, Dylan.” My chest heaves, adrenaline pulsating through me. “Please.”
Dylan turns to me mechanically—looking through me rather than at me. After a moment, his eyes widen, almost as if he forgot I was here—like this is an A and B conversation between him and Gareth. His features twist in a way that turns from anger to disappointment. “How long?” he asks me, voice strained.
“I’ve loved him since the day I met him at thirteen years old. But we just recently decided to give this a try.”
He shakes his head, his gaze dropping to the floor. “Unbelievable,” he mutters. “I leave for three weeks and I can’t even trust that my best friend and my sister won’t be fucking when I come back.”
His words are like a punch to the gut.
“How can you even say something like that to me?” I fire back, a burst of rage igniting. “I’ve spent my entire life pushing aside what I wanted to makeyouhappy. Because your stupid, insecure teenage self said you’d never forgive us if we ever so much as looked in each other’s direction.” I toss my hands into the air. “For thirteen years—literally since I was thirteen years old, Dylan—I’ve pretended like Gareth wasn’t the love of my life just to appease you.”
“Then you had to go and shove the knife in my back anyway, didn’t you?”
“I choose myself, Dylan. I chooselove.”
Another angry burst of laughter leaves him. “You’re the same Indy as you were when you were a kid—desperate for attention.”
“Excuse me?”
“Enough,” Gareth growls, low and possessive.
“Stay out of this,” Dylan snaps again. “We haven’t even started onyourbetrayal yet.”
Gareth’s nostrils flare. “I’m not betraying you.”
“How can you stand here and be this disgusted over the two people you’re closest to being in love?” I ask.
“You’re not in love with him,” Dylan sneers. “You’re in love with the idea of him.” The words sting like a slap in the face. His arms fold over his chest. “This will end faster than it started.”
“You’re wrong,” I bite out, my voice strained even though I’m so desperately trying to keep it steady. Dylan’s cracking my heart wide open—the worst-case scenario happening right before my eyes.
“You’re acting like a child,” Gareth cuts in, his tone low and firm. “What Indy and I have is real, Dylan.” He squeezes my hand, eyes softening when they meet mine. “I’m not going anywhere,” he tells me, not him. “I love her, and I’m sorry you had to find out this way, but like she said, we’re done tiptoeing around your feelings.”
My throat tightens, and I blink against the sting in my eyes. God, I love this man so much.
“So much for loyalty,” Dylan spits bitterly.
“I spent years putting our friendship first, Dylan,” Gareth says evenly. “Now my loyalty is with her.”
“Being loyal to someone doesn’t mean you let them control your life, Dyl,” I add, sadness seeping into my tone.
I don’t even recognize my brother right now.
He lifts his hand, pointing it in my direction. “I didn’t make your decisions, you did.”
