A door crashes open. “You okay, sis?” comes Sloane’s voice from the other side of the stall door.
“No, your brother is an ass,” I cry.
“I’m not going to argue with you on this. But I think you might have this all wrong. He’s not messing with you this time. The compatibility test really does have those questions in it. Asher didn’t even know what was coming himself when he agreed to play.”
Sickness washes over me and lands in the pit of my stomach. “You sure you’re not just covering for him because he’s your brother?” I whisper.
“No chance in hell, us girls have to stick together.”
I suck in a deep breath, trying to get my emotions under control. It’s the pressure cooker of a situation, it’s starting to mess with my head. “So, I’m overreacting?” I whimper, knowing how dramatic I look.
“A little. But maybe you have a good reason to. I did see his answer, and it wasyes, with my princess. Not a line I ever thought I would hear my brother say. He’s got it bad for you, girl.”
I stare at the door, feeling like an idiot. What the hell is wrong with me? This man wants it all with me, and I’m keeping him at arm’s length, all because I’m afraid he’s going to hurt me. That they will all hurt me.
“Look, sis, I know it wasn’t all that long ago you told me you would never open up your heart to anyone, that way you can keep it protected, and after the shit you were dealing with, I get it. But it’s also very limiting. And fucking lonely, take it from me.”
I pop open the door, peering around. “You have three boyfriends and a husband. When have you ever been lonely?”
She smiles softly. “This love stuff is still new for me as well. Trust me, I have done my time feeling isolated and wishing my lot in life was different. It took me opening up my heart and trusting to finally get what I needed.”
My head drops, and I stare at the tiled floor. It’s all pretty emerald greens and blacks and looks like her and Romeo have spent a small fortune getting this place set up. But that’s not what I should be thinking about now, even though I would do just about anything for a distraction so I don’t have to admit the truth. “I can’t trust them, not while all this shit is going on, and they’re so secretive, I feel like I’m on the outside looking in, if that makes sense.”
She huffs out a laugh. “Yeah, it really does, and I have nothing for you there. I lived with those boys for a long time, and I can promise you it was no different for me. Girls are treated differently whether we like it or not. My brothers think they’re helping to protect you by keeping you wrapped in bubble wrap. But they have no idea how shit that feels when all you want to do is prove you’re more than capable of living your life independently. Sis, they had a bodyguard at my side at all fucking times for years. Trust me, I get it.”
“They think they are my bodyguards,” I huff back.
And she laughs.
“They’re so intense and overprotective. I mean, I know there is good reason for it, with my brother fucking me over and all, but it’s just a lot when I’m trapped with them twenty-four seven, and then there’s Asher and Cruz declaring their love for me. Sloane, they hardly know me, and how am I supposed to be the girl they want when I don’t even know who I am myself? I’ve gone from one prison to another, even if this one is more fun. I’m still trapped, you know.”
She nods, and I see the sympathy in her eyes. “That might be true, but I have known these boys my whole life, and they have never acted like this with anyone else. You’re someone special to them whether you like it or not, and just between you and me, I think you do.” She winks at me. “You want to hear something kind of cool?”
“Sure,” I mutter with a shrug of my shoulder.
“While I was doing my research for the game, I came across some interesting facts. Apparently for men, they know within the first sixty seconds of meeting someone if they want to spend the rest of their life with them or not. Women take longer. They can grow to love someone, but men know right from the start even if they may not be able to articulate it themselves. That’s crazy, right?”
I stare back at her, trying to process what that actually means. Cruz and Jagger fell for me while they were holding me hostage, and Asher when I did that lap dance for him? That is some kind of fucked up. “Do you really believe that?”
“Maybe? I mean, I like the idea of it. Kind of romantic when you’ve found your people.”
I push open the door and come out into the main part of the bathroom, swallowing the lump in my throat as I try not to fall apart. “That’s just it, though. I don’t fully trust them, but I think I’m in love with all of them. And I can’t even process what that means. What’s wrong with me? I’ve gone my whole twenty-three years without falling for anyone, and now I’m in deep with three men. Not just three men but brothers.” I glance up at her, half mortified.
A smile plays on her lips before she burst into laughter. “There is nothing wrong with you. You just fell for three guys at once. And lucky you, they don’t seem to care too much about it, so you don’t have to choose. You can make it work if you want to.”
A knock comes at the door, and I freeze, not ready to face Asher yet.
“Give us a minute, Ash,” Sloane calls back to him, seeing my horror.
“Nope, you’re out of time. I’ve been waiting out here forever.”
Chapter 15
Smooth Operator
Heshovesopenthedoor, his eyes finding mine instantly. “Princess.” He pushes past his sister and pulls me into his arms, the scent of his expensive aftershave overwhelming me as my face is pressed into his crisp button-up.
“I’m going to give you kids some time to catch up.” Sloane pats me on the shoulder as she brushes past us.
