‘Painting.’ Chad looked around the room at some of Alicia’s artwork. ‘You’re a talented artist, but colouring in doesn’t pay the bills.’
She inhaled a steadying breath. Chad’s attitude wasn’t any different than before, but now her senses were heightened and boy did it stink, like festering blue cheese. ‘Depends what bills you’re talking about,’ she said. ‘I’ve plenty money and I don’t need a stylist and a driver and a masseuse and a PT and all those things that you might consider vital. A simple life is fine for me.’
Chad gawped at Alicia as if she were speaking a foreign language. ‘I’ve no idea why you wouldn’t want an easier life, but okay. I can’t guarantee to still be single when you change your mind, though.’
‘I’ll take that chance.’ Alicia stifled amusement and wondered how he was unable to see how utterly egotistical he was. Probably because of his giant ego. He was living in a bubble.
Chad arose from the sofa and approached her on the other side of the coffee table. ‘You are still utterly enchanting, though, and you can’t blame for me trying to get you back. Any sane man would.’ What was coming was obvious, and her stomach churned, Then, as Chad moved close enough for Alicia to smell his limey, herby scent a visceral nausea swept over her. ‘So beautiful,’ he mumbled, taking her cheeks into his clammy palms and moving his mouth towards hers. ‘I miss our magic so, so much.’
‘Chad, get your hands off me. You don’tget to do that anymore.’
‘Come on, sweetness,’ he drawled.
‘I said, no.’ Alicia tried to pull Chad’s hands down from her face. ‘Leave, please.’
‘You heard her. Leave. Or I’ll make you leave.’
Alicia swung round to the sight of her brother Connor filling the doorway, a bottle of whisky swinging by his side but the furious expression on his face suggesting he was stone-cold sober.
‘Sorry to barge in, Leesh, but I saw the A-hole licence plate in the drive and when you didn’t answer the door, I used the spare key. Chad, how fucking lovely to see you here. I’ve been meaning to have a chat with you. Now could be the perfect time, so why don’t you get your hands off my sister’s face and sit down.’ Connor strode with purpose towards Chad, much the way his character inClan Bràthairsapproached any enemy: with quiet yet pinpointed decisiveness, his face steel, eyes burning amber.
Chad, dropping his hold from Alicia’s cheeks, adopted the only defence he had which was to pretend that he and Connor were buddies. ‘Hey, Connor, good to see you, man. LovingClan. Yeah, let’s chat. I had an idea for a project that you might be interested in…’
‘We’ll talk about that later. Or never? Yeah, never.’ Connor loomed over Chad now, his gaze boring down on him. Alicia knew her brother was furious on her behalf, but she didn’t want drama. She’d spent time in Scotland distancing herself from so much of this situation. Connor’s approach was putting the bulldozer into reverse. And as noble as his intentions were, his confrontation with Chad only made her more conscious of her shame.
‘Connor, it’s fine. Chad, just go, please.’
‘It’s not fine, Alicia. Not by me.’
‘Connor.’ She wouldn’t raise her voice or say ‘thisisn’t about you’ and give Chad any mileage, but it was the truth. It was her problem and she was dealing with it in her way. ‘I don’t want this.’
‘You heard the woman. Unhand me now.’ Chad quipped in a pseudo-English accent, clearly trying to lighten the atmosphere.’ Or what is it Murdo Galbraith says?’ He tried a Scottish brogue. ‘Get yer muckit paws aff us.’
Connor lifted one side of his mouth in a sardonic half smile, dropped it, indulged in a long, slow inhale and exhale. It was ambiguous as to whether he was trying to maintain composure in the face of Chad’s diversion tactics or if he was gearing up the energy for a fight.
‘You know what you are, Chad?’
Chad cocked his head to the side and pretended to think for a moment. ‘I’m sure you’re about to tell me.’
‘You’re scum. A pointless human being. I could throw you over that couch there or knock you out on the floor, but I respect what my sister wants, which is not a trace of you in her life anymore. It’s a shame you don’t have that same respect. So, you’re going to walk out of this house, and if I ever find that you’ve come anywhere near her again, then we will go ahead with the show we could have had here this afternoon. And by the time I’ve finished with you, the only accent you’ll be able to do is a very muffled one crying for your mommy. Got it?’
Chad sized up Connor. He was stalling so as not to lose face but, unless he was stupid, he wouldn’t fight Connor, who was far taller and stronger, not to mention fuelled by injustice. Not that Chad would admit that.
‘Fine. I hear you, angry boy. You’ve put on a bit of pork around your belly, by the way. Might want to get a new PT.’
Connor just chuckled dismissively, wise enough todeflect the obvious wind up. He was in peak physical shape and Chad was searching for anything to gain points with.
‘Thanks for the hot tip,’ Connor retorted. ‘And you might want to go easy on the fillers. Your face is starting to resemble a bounce house.’
Alicia tried her best to stifle her laughter. Chad would not take well to being riled like this. As he made his way out of the room, he caught her expression and she could see he was piqued at her amusement, but he was limited in comebacks because he didn’t want to fight with Connor. So instead he swiped with force across a painting of a picnic, making it fall to the ground and the glass of the frame smash into several sharp fragments.
Connor let out a guttural growl and stomped after Chad, but Alicia pulled at his t shirt.
‘Honestly, Con, I hate that painting. He’s done me a favour.’
‘Fine, but I’m going to make sure he leaves without causing any more damage. I promise I won’t say a word to him, unless I have to.’
‘You won’t have to,’ Alicia assured. ‘He’ll be too busy calling the salon to complain that the fillers they gave him made his face look like a bounce house. You’ve really hit him where it hurts.’
