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There’s ice there.

But it’s not strong.

So, I punch right through it.

“I love you.” I shove her phone into my pocket. “And you don’t get to do this to us.”

Her eyes go wide, and I don’t miss the tears forming, the way her hands tremble as she pushes back her hair. Then she exhales, straightens her shoulders and turns away from me. “That doesn’t matter.”

Fuck, that stings.

But I lock that down too.

“It matters,” I say, moving toward her, grasping her shoulder, and rotating her until she faces me. “Because if it didn’t, you wouldn’t be standing here, looking like someone shattered you into a million pieces, baby.”

Her eyes close.

“Why did your brother call you?”

“He didn’t.”

“Liar,” I say. “So let’s try it again. Why did TJ, your half-brother you haven’t spoken to in years, call you?”

Her bottom lip trembles, and fuck, but I want to draw her close.

I worry, though, that if I touch her right now, she’ll shut down again.

“Baby,” I press. “Talk to me.”

“TJ didn’t call me.”

“Beck heard you say his name.”

Her eyes close again and she shakes her head.

I get the sense she’s done talking. That she’s going to retreat into someplace inside of her and wait for me to be done.

Then she’s going to go.

Which pisses me off.

And it feels good to be angry instead of hurt. It feels so fucking good that I do shit I wouldn’t normally do.

Like pull out Violet’s phone from my back pocket.

It’s still unlocked, so I jab at the call log and hit the most recent number.

It rings once. Twice.

“That was quick, little sis,” I hear TJ fucking Conrad say. “I’m surprised he let you go that easily. Must not be that good of a lay now, are you?”

The words wash over me.

No. The words burn over me.

“What time is your flight?” he asks. “Remember, you need to be at the Conrad compound by five tomorrow night or those videos of you and that pretty boy will be released.” He pauses. “Hey, dummy, do you hear me?”

I want to launch Vi’s phone through the window.