Headlines (Prime Time #3) - Ella Frank Page 0,29

my mind and did something rash, I turned on my heel and walked out the door.

14

Xander

WHEN I KISSED Sean goodbye earlier and sent him off to meet Bailey, I’d felt as though I was sending him to the gallows, and he’d looked similarly grim.

That had been about an hour ago, and as I sat here wondering what was worse—being the one in the middle of the fight or the one waiting at home on the outcome—the one thing that kept repeating in my head was that at least Sean was getting the opportunity to say his piece. As it stood right now, Bailey wouldn’t even return my texts.

I’d tried not to fixate or stress over the wall Bailey had erected between us. But with every day that passed, the distance and strain between us was weighing heavier and heavier on my heart. I missed my best friend, my confidant, and though I knew it was selfish to even wish for, in the back of my mind I wanted to celebrate this moment of my life with him—falling in love.

That wasn’t going to happen anytime soon, though. Not when the person I’d fallen for was Bailey’s brother.

I glanced at my watch for the millionth time, and when I heard Sean’s SUV come up the drive, I jumped to my feet and ran to the door. My heart was pounding, and I couldn’t decide what I was more nervous about: how the discussion went or how Sean was feeling after it.

Either way, I braced myself for whatever kind of mood was about to walk through the door. Moments later, Sean came in, and when he spotted me, he offered a grimace that made my stomach clench.

Shit. Whatever had gone down between the brothers hadn’t been anything good. There was no hopeful smile, no confident smirk, indicating that this was all cleared up.

“Hey,” he said as he shut the door and tossed his keys on the entry table, and that one word confirmed my suspicions. Whatever had happened at Bailey’s hadn’t involved mending fences and broken hearts.

In fact, Sean sounded more dejected than ever before, and considering I’d seen Sean at his worst, that was saying something.

“Hi.”

When he slipped his hands in his pockets, a clear indicator he was putting up a barrier of some sort, I respected his choice and kept my hands to myself.

He walked down the hall, and I followed in silence, sensing he would talk when he was ready. But when he headed straight to the kitchen and opened the cabinet I knew housed the hard liquor, I finally spoke up.

“Well, this doesn’t bode well.”

Sean grabbed a bottle of bourbon and two glasses. “Trust me, you’re going to want one of these.”

I nodded, and as he poured a glass, I took a seat at the dining table and waited. Sean brought over both drinks and the bottle and took the seat opposite me, and for a minute he just sat there staring at the bottle as though it held all the answers. Hell, maybe it did.

“I’m guessing things didn’t get resolved?”

Sean reached for his glass and traced the rim with his fingertip. “You could say that. I can’t remember ever seeing him like this, Xander.”

“Angry?”

Sean scoffed. “Angry, hurt, mean. If I hadn’t been standing in the room with him, I would’ve thought I was talking to a stranger. It’s like he’s possessed.”

I reached across the table and laid my hand over the top of Sean’s. When he slowly drew it free, my chest tightened.

Not wanting to admit how much that act of withdrawal hurt, I focused on the topic at hand. “What did he say? Does he want to sit down and talk about it?”

“That’s literally the last thing he wants to do. I’m thinking he would’ve been happiest ramming his fist in my face.”

“I’m sure that’s not true.”

Sean looked at me over the top of his glass. “Trust me, it’s true. This is more than anger. It’s like we’ve broken some sacred fucking code and, along with it, killed the sweet side of Bailey we knew.” He tipped the glass up and swallowed the alcohol in one gulp.

“Maybe it’s just more time he needs? Then we can talk.”

“Xander, you’re not listening.”

“I am, but…what else can we do?”

Sean cut his eyes to mine, and that was when I saw it, the answer I’d been dreading all day—ever since Bailey had texted him.

End things. That was what that look said. End things now and let them go back to the