Page 214 of My Real Love Affair

“Without me, this mess might not have happened at all,” he said quietly. “I’m the one who hired Summer in the first place. I’m the one who thought I could fix your problems by throwing money at them and controlling the situation. I should have done a better job vetting her. That NDA I had her sign was weak. She doesn’t give a shit about having to pay ten grand for breaking it when she’s trying to blackmail us for ten million. It’s worth it to her.”

“You were trying to help.”

“I was trying to fix what I saw as broken,” Cash interrupted. “And in doing so, I created a whole new problem. I should have told Dad no. Should have pushed back and said that you needed to handle your own life, your own way. But he got in my head, made me think I was protecting you and the family.”

He turned to look at me. “Now I see that all I was doing was bailing water out of a sinking ship. Treating symptoms instead of causes. You deserved better than that, Austin. You deserved someone who believed you could figure it out on your own.”

The honesty in his voice was a surprise. I never thought I would see the day Cash admitted fault or that he had any kind of weakness. The golden child, the one who always had the answers, was telling me he’d been wrong.

“You know what I’ve always admired about you?” Cash continued. “You’ve never had trouble telling Dad no. You just do what you think is right, consequences be damned. I’ve spent my whole life trying to please him, trying to be the son he wanted. And you? You just decided to be yourself.”

I didn’t know what to say. Cash admiring me? That was new territory.

“It’s something I need to get better at,” he said. “Standing up for what I believe instead of just going along with what Dad wants. Maybe then I wouldn’t end up hiring psychotic con artists to babysit my brothers.”

The corner of my mouth twitched. “In your defense, she was very good at hiding the psychotic part.”

“Clearly not good enough, since your girlfriend figured her out in one conversation.”

“Melody is smart as hell.”

“She is,” Cash agreed. “Don’t fuck it up with her.”

I nodded. “I’ve been trying not to.”

We sat there for a moment, both of us processing what just transpired between us. This was the most honest conversation Cash and I had probably ever had. No posturing, no judgment, just two brothers acknowledging they’d both made mistakes and were trying to do better.

Cleo cleared her throat. “Do you guys want me to take a picture?”

The absurdity of the question broke the tension immediately. Cash and I both laughed.

“I’m serious,” Cleo said, but she was grinning. “That was very emotionally vulnerable. Very growth-mindset of you both. We should memorialize it. At least give each other a hug.”

“I think we’re good,” Cash said, but he was still smiling.

“Speak for yourself,” I said. “I could use a hug. But I’m waiting for Melody.”

As if on cue, movement outside caught my eye. Summer emerged from the restaurant, her designer heels clicking on the sidewalk as she headed toward a waiting car. We all ducked instinctively, even though the windows were tinted and there was no way she could see us.

“Get down,” Cleo hissed unnecessarily, practically lying across the back seat.

We watched Summer slide into her car and drive away, completely oblivious to the fact that her entire plan had just imploded. A few moments later, Melody came out of the restaurant. Even from here, I could see the relief on her face, the way her shoulders had finally relaxed. She looked around, spotted our car, and started walking toward us with a grin that made my chest tight.

I was out of the car before I consciously decided to move, pulling her into my arms the second she was close enough. She melted into me. I held her like I’d been afraid I might never get to do this again.

“You were incredible,” I murmured into her hair. “Absolutely incredible.”

“I was terrified the whole time,” she admitted, her voice muffled against my chest. “But we did it. We actually did it.”

“Youdid it,” I corrected. “You’re the one who sat across from that psycho and got her to confess everything.”

She pulled back to look up at me, her eyes bright. “I want to hear the recording, see what we got.”

“Melody. Austin.” Cash’s voice cut in. He’d gotten out of the car and was standing next to the passenger door. “You can’t be seen together. Not until we’ve dealt with Summer completely. If someone sees you two together now, it undermines the whole breakup narrative.”

I watched Melody’s face fall, and it gutted me. We’d just pulled off this entire elaborate scheme and now she couldn’t even celebrate with us properly because we had to maintain the illusion.

“This sucks,” she said quietly.