of the SUV. Petra took Thea’s things from me with a promise that should would take care of them. Considering the soft way she spoke to me, I must have appeared like I was about to lose my shit. And maybe I was.
If you want to fuck Thea, then you should fuck her.
I stared out the window, half-tempted to bang my head against it. Had any guy in the history of stupid guys said anything so utterly foolish?
It wasn’t even what I’d meant. I’d meant, if you want to love Thea, then you should love her. But I was a dude, and we didn’t say shit like that. At least, not while Tristin and I were in the middle of frenemy argument number eight hundred and sixty-three.
Still, I never should have said it. How many times could I fuck up in one night?
It made me sick that Thea had seen me flirting with Jillian earlier in an attempt to dig for information about her father. Even pretending had made me feel dirty, like I needed a shower.
If anything, the evening had only reinforced the knowledge that I would never cheat on Thea. I hadn’t felt even a moment of temptation, despite my proximity to the attractive and oh-so-willing blonde.
A few months ago, I probably would have taken advantage of the situation and found the nearest supply closet. But I wasn’t that guy anymore. I’d known it for a while, but tonight, it really sank in.
I wasn’t that reckless kid who had driven after drinking too much at a party. I wasn’t the conflicted son who listened to his father and allowed his brother to take the fall for him. I wasn’t even that short-sighted guy who stood by and watched while Tristin was accused of drugging a girl.
All thanks to Thea.
Because she’d helped me see the man I actually wanted to be, instead of the one I was settling for.
And I’d repaid her by letting her believe I was being an ass. Which, in and of itself, made me an ass. Now, I really did bang my head against the window, wishing I could escape to the boxing gym instead.
But I wouldn’t do that to Thea. I was going to stay by her side, even if it meant paying off every nurse and orderly in the hospital.
“Are you going to tell us what happened?” Hayle asked as he eyed me through the rearview mirror.
What a loaded question.
“One of the valets forgot to turn on his headlights, and Thea didn’t see him until it was too late.” True, but nothing close to the full story.
“What was she even doing in the parking lot?” Petra asked. “Without her shoes?”
“I pissed her off,” Tristin answered, his voice hollow. “And she ran away.”
“Fuck.” Hayle turned his head to glare at our brother in the passenger seat. “How hard is it to not be a jerk for a single night?”
“It wasn’t just his fault.” I didn’t bother questioning why I was defending Tristin. “We both screwed up.” More than once.
Hayle slammed a hand on the steering wheel. “I swear, neither one of you assholes deserves her.”
I bit back a snarky response, knowing now wasn’t the time. I’d meant what I said to Tristin earlier. Maybe Thea didn’t have to choose me or him or Hayle. Or none of the above. There was a fifth door, and I was fairly certain we were going to have to dive through it if all four of us wanted to be happy.
Now, I just had to figure out how the hell to convince my brothers and Thea.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Hayle
Concussion. Lacerations. Broken leg. No evidence of internal bleeding. Need to keep an eye on her. Full recovery expected. Could have been much worse.
The doctor’s explanation of Thea’s prognosis cycled through my brain as I made my way to the small convenience store in the hospital—the only place to get a decent cup of coffee at this hour. He assured us that Thea could have visitors soon, though only one at a time. Before I left the waiting room, Petra and Leo were already drawing straws over who got to see her first. Clearly, I wasn’t even in the running.
Which was why I’d taken the opportunity to escape the confines of the small, too-bright room for a few minutes. I hated knowing Thea was hurt and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it. I’d never done well with the feeling of uselessness, and I didn’t see that changing anytime