stupid, I stopped him. “Just to sleep. I didn’t want to be alone. That’s all.”
“How’s that going?”
I shoved off the window and headed toward my desk. Needing the distance, from him, from the truth, from the fear. I had no idea what was going on in her mind. “Don’t ask.”
“That bad?”
“No. Because I don’t know.” Pressing my hands to the top of my desk, I blew out a breath that didn’t bring me any calm. “Dad told her last week and only told her so she’d be there last night.”
“But she came.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “That’s a good sign.”
“Not if she’s doing it for David.”
“Don’t be a dumbass. She came because she cares.”
Probably. But maybe not enough, and that terrified me. What if she came because she cared about me because she was a decent human? What if she could get over my lying to her for so long but couldn’t trust me again?
“She’s still mad and hurt. That much she’s told me.”
“So let her be. But do me a favor?”
“Please, don’t ask me to take out another one of Jenna’s friends on a date,” I said, smirking. The last time with Jenna’s friend Harper had been a disaster. I’d joke about anything right now to change the topic. Heavy shit was my least favorite kind of shit.
“Speaking of, she’ll be there this weekend. Be nice to her, would you?”
“I didn’t do anything wrong the first time.”
“Except ditch the date before you had a single glass of wine with her.”
“Why waste both of our time?”
“Whatever.” He slashed his hand through the air and seared me to my spot with a heavy look. “Back to the original point. My favor?”
“What?” I gritted my teeth. Nothing good came from Brandon’s favors. Harper had only been the most recent victim.
Brandon came to me then, braced his hands opposite the desk, mirroring my own position. He looked me dead in the eyes, all joking gone. “Don’t push her away.”
Fucker. I knew exactly what he was saying and why, but I wasn’t going to stand there today of all days and listen to this. “Who? Harper?”
He slammed his hand on the desk. I flinched but steadied myself. Sometimes with Brandon I still had to hold my position and not ache for the fight I knew he’d want. His anger was legendary, something he’d worked on for years, but he still fired hot real quick. “No. Lilly, you asshole. Don’t act like you don’t know who I’m talking about or what I’m talking about. You always do this shit. Feel like you have to handle it yourself. And I’m not losing you again like we did after Melissa.”
My lip curled. My breath came like a bull ready to charge. “Get out of my office.”
“It’s going to be your instinct, but this time… please, don’t do it.”
Rage, white-hot rage burned through my veins, making my arms shake and my blood boil. “If you don’t want a black eye for your wedding, I suggest you get the fuck out of my office.”
“Love you, brother. You know I do.” He stepped back and tossed his hands in the air, out to his side. “But you know I’m right.”
Brandon spun and headed toward my door. As soon as it clicked shut, I grabbed the first thing I could find. My emptied coffee mug from yesterday went flying through the air and slammed against the closed door. The damn thing didn’t even have the decency to shatter.
Nope. It just gave an unsatisfying thunk on the carpet.
“Shit.” I shoved my hands to my hair and scrubbed, letting loose a feral sound from deep in the trenches of my gut, where all the ugly, vile parts of me lived and breathed.
Damn him. Damn Brandon to hell for throwing that in my face.
I was still panting minutes, maybe hours later, glaring at my closed door when my phone beeped.
Work. Right. I had actual work to get done today and a million calls to make.
Glancing at my phone, a speck of my rage diminished when I saw Lilly’s name light up the screen.
Any particular reason Brandon just rushed past me and said that I’m too good for you?
Asshole.
Because he’s a dick, I typed back. And he’s not wrong.
I knew what Lilly thought. She figured her prison record made her someone ‘less than.’ I thought that was bullshit. With the way she’d had to survive her entire life, and hadn’t become completely hardened and broken, she was way too damn good for