A Redo (Sterling Shore 6)

“You know what? You’re an ass.” His eyes widen, and I realize how pathetic my insult really sounds. Hell, I sound like a third-grader dishing out trash talk. But I pretend it’s a badass retort instead of a lame one, and I continue. “Wren is great. He doesn’t have to be a saint. He’s loyal to Angel, so add her to that list. You need to go. I won’t do this. I’m not arguing with you, and I’m not letting you bash my daughter’s father in my home. It’s not right.”

He holds his hands up, surrendering. “I’m sorry. I realize I sound bitter. Can I have another shot?”

He gives me an innocent expression, grinning at me like he’s a charmer. I don’t care how pretty he is, I’m not one of those girls. Well, I’m usually not. Wren seems to turn me into one of those girls, but his brother sure as hell doesn’t.

“I’d seriously like to know a little about my niece. As you’re aware, Wren and I don’t necessarily talk too much, and Mom is a little mad since I brought Erica to the Christmas party. I just want to know about Angel.”

Inhaling a fresh breath, I try to calm down. I almost feel thankful now that I never had a sibling.

He’s Angel’s uncle. Even though Billy screwed Wren’s fiancée, Wren still started talking to him again. I really don’t want to be the one pushed out when fences are mended this time. No doubt Wren will choose his brother—family always sticks together no matter how deep the scars are between them. Bella’s the only exception to that rule that I’ve ever known.

If I have tension with Billy, Wren will start excluding me from his life to keep peace. It wouldn’t matter if the tension was caused because I was defending him.

Play nice, Allie. Even if you have to bite your tongue hard enough to draw blood.

“Fine. What do you want to know?”

His triumphant grin gets broader as he relaxes. “Pictures always bring about interesting stories. Got any?”

There’s a very small photo album in my room. That’ll be plenty to show him, and then I can kick him out in less than ten minutes.

I nod and grab the album. When I return, he’s staring expectantly, and I consider not sitting anywhere close to him.

“Promise I won’t bite,” he jokes, nodding to the empty space on the sofa beside him.

Since we’re going to be looking at pictures, I concede to sit by him, but I grab a throw pillow and subtly tuck it between us. No way am I letting him touch me.

Chapter 23

WREN

“I told you I’d be there later,” I grumble to my very persistent mother.

Corbin is sitting in the passenger seat of my car, trying his best not to laugh at my exasperation. We’re not too far from my house, and this day can be called done.

“When?” she demands. “Where are you right now?”

“I’ll fly up with Allie so that she doesn’t have to go alone. And not that it’s any of your business, but I’m with Corbin. We went to help set something up for Rye.”

“You mean you helped Rye set something up to prank Brin,” Mom corrects, a small smile in her voice. “I thought they were calling a truce until after the New Year. Rye said things were getting too out of hand.”

“Yes,” I say, actually smiling. “Don’t give it away. They have a truce not to prank each other. Rye says that leaves a loophole—he can get help from third parties. He better not rat me out. By the way, I heard Rygan Clanton is in Aspen, too.”

“Yes. He is. And he seems to very taken with Eleanor. Kode is having a small panic attack, worrying to death that Tria and Rye might become stepbrother and stepsister. Dane isn’t overly fond of the idea either.”

I finally manage to laugh, but Mom isn’t one to be deterred from her train of thought for long.

“So you and Allie will—”

“Will be coming together. Stop worrying.”

“You never told me what happened between the two of you, and she keeps assuring me that everything is fine. But I can tell it’s not.”

“It’s not a big deal. We just have some… history, and with history comes certain issues.”

And I want to be inside Allie so bad that I can barely keep my head straight around her.

Mom sighs heavily. “Fine. Whatever you’ve done to create this tension, you need to fix it. Allie keeps swearing nothing’s wrong, but I hear it in her voice.”

I groan, wishing I could just hang up on her without hearing her nag me about it later. This situation is more complicated than my mother realizes. I still don’t know what to say or do, and Allie hasn’t once mentioned that night. Like a creepy pervert, I still have her torn panties. They’re not under my pillow or anything, but they are in a locked drawer instead of the trashcan.