Ride: Hearts Wild Series

Ian stepped into the room in nothing but his towel, but for once, she didn't salivate over his ripped muscles. She just held the phone in her hand, silently, then stretched it out toward him.

It buzzed again in her hand, but she didn't dare to look at it.

She could only stand here. And wait.

"What's…" he said, but the look on her face told him everything he needed to know.

"You have two missed messages," she said simply. "Might want to check them."

"Why were you looking at my phone?" He regretted the question as soon as he spoke. Her face twisted with pain as she pulled on a satin robe and hid herself from his view.

"It was an accident," she murmured. "And I hardly think I'm the one who should be doing the explaining here."

"What's that supposed to—?"

"How long have you known? How long did you know where she was?"

He sucked in his cheeks. He should have known this was coming, that everything between them had been too good to be true. Vaguely, he knew he still had the option to lie his way out, but he'd done so much of that, he simply couldn't bring himself to do it. Not again.

"Since yesterday. That's all."

"Yesterday?" Recognition flashed in her eyes. "When yesterday?"

"Does it matter?"

"It does. Now when was it?"

He scrubbed a hand over his face. "She called me when my phone was gone, so I heard a message. That was what I'd come upstairs to tell you when…"

"Ah." She let out a bitter little laugh. "You slept with me then continued to lie to me. Twice."

She nodded slowly. "I understand now."

"No. Look, it wasn't like that." He held up his hands.

"I honestly don't know what else it could be. You’ve known for almost 24 hours where my sister was and whether she was safe, and you didn't tell me. You betrayed me, and you did it while you were sleeping with me."

When she said it like that…

"Look, I was trying to protect my friend."

"From me?" Her voice broke on the last word.

"Look, Zoe. You know how you are."

"Apparently not."

"With Quinn. You know you get overprotective, and I just wanted Quinn to have a little peace before you came rushing in."

"Well, that wasn't your place. You're not family. I'm her family, and someone needs to look out for her."

"That's exactly what I was doing."

"And look how great it's turned out," she practically spat.

"I know you're upset—"

"You don't know anything." She grabbed his keys from a nearby table then shoved them in her pocket. "But you know what? That's fine by me. I'm going to find my sister and bring her back here. We'll pick you up tomorrow."