home or a family dinner. He shouldn’t have to disappear every time you step into the room—”
“Yes, he should.” His eyes started to light up like mine. “He’s a smart guy. He could have figured out I was in the theatre if he paid attention.”
“Well, maybe he was too busy watching me,” I snapped.
My brother didn’t lose his temper like I did, but his quiet rage was somehow just as potent. “I won’t apologize for what I did. I won’t change my behavior. Learn from your mistakes.” He turned to the door.
“Learn from my mistakes?” I asked incredulously. “You really want nothing to do with him? Then you should text me and tell me when you’re coming to a show. Tell me when you’re stopping by my apartment.”
He slowly turned back to me. “I’m your goddamn family. I don’t have to do that.”
“You can’t have it both ways, Damien,” I said as I shook my head.
He slid his hands into the pockets of his slacks, his silver watch visible around his wrist.
I took a deep breath and let the air escape my lungs. “Damien.”
His eyes narrowed like he knew what was coming.
“This is the man I love…”
He cringed like it was painful to hear, disgusting. “No. He gives you good sex. That’s it.”
I stilled at the crass comment because I’d never heard my brother talk like that.
“You can get good dick anywhere, Catalina. Don’t fall for his macho bullshit. Don’t fall for the bad boy turned good routine. Because they never turn good. Ever.”
“Well, this one has, Damien. He’s proved it to you.”
“No.” He stepped closer to me. “He’s only playing nice because I have something he wants—and I won’t give it to him.”
“Have something he wants?” My eyes narrowed. “I better not be that something, Damien. Because you don’t have me.”
“When Dad is gone, I’m the man of this family. So, yes—”
“Fuck you. I’m glad I won’t have your last name when I get married.”
“You’ll never have his last name, that’s for damn sure.” Now he raised his voice, now he lost his temper, now his green eyes were vicious like mine.
“Damien.” I stomped my foot. “This is how bitter you are? This is who you really want to be? Because you’re being a fucking asshole.”
“I’d rather be an asshole than a murderer.”
I sighed at the insult.
Damien dragged his hand down his cheek to his chin, like he was calming himself after screaming at me. He looked away, stared at my kitchen for a few minutes, and then cleared his throat and looked back at me. “I don’t want us to be like this. That man has caused enough turmoil in our family. We’re just going to have to agree to disagree.”
I didn’t just want Heath because I couldn’t have him. I wanted him because it felt right, because he made me happy. “Damien…please.”
“No.”
“How would you feel if I told you I would never like Anna? The woman you love? The only woman you’ve ever loved? What if I said I didn’t like the fact that she’s already been married twice? What if I said I didn’t like the fact that she caused danger to our family because of her ex-husband?”
His eyes narrowed. “Not the same thing at all.”
“But what if I felt that way? What if I refused to get along with the woman you’re in love with?”
He stared me down.
“It would kill you. So, imagine how I feel right now.”
“You know what kills me?” he whispered. “Walking up to you with my fiancée, holding her hand while I look at the man who took her from her hospital room, the man who broke through my window, which resulted in her being shot in the first place. You forced me to stand there, with them just feet apart, and not shoot him in the fucking face.”
“Heath would never hurt Anna—”
“But he already did. My job as her husband is to protect her. But I have to stand there like a goddamn joke.”
“She’s not afraid of him.”
“How do you know how she feels?” he snapped.
“Because Anna would want me to be happy.”
His wide eyes shone with ferocity. “There are a million guys out there, Catalina. And you’re so beautiful that you could have anyone you want. Just find someone else. It’s that simple.”
“How would you feel if I told you the same thing?”
“Well, I’m marrying her, so there is no one else for me.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “And I might like to marry Heath…someday.”