Dare to Love (Dare to Love 1)

Alex shrugged. “Told you from the get-go she was independent.”

“Yeah. But I thought we were working on how to compromise. Hell, I compromised on you,” Ian said, because he knew the other man could take it.

Alex burst out laughing. “I hear you. The thing is, you just saw firsthand why she doesn’t trust. She didn’t call me either.”

Ian nodded. He’d give her that. That might have sent him completely over the edge.

“I’m still not sure we can go forward from here.” And that was about all he wanted to say on the subject to his half brother. “I just need to know you’ll be there for her.” Because he knew she shouldn’t be alone.

It would kill him to leave her, but he had no choice. He’d made his needs clear—and he didn’t think he was being unreasonable. He’d done everything he could to give her the space she needed to be independent, backing off from his possessiveness at work, not pushing on the unsafe apartment issue…well, not much.

Yet when the ultimate shit came down, she’d gone it alone.

“I’ll be here,” Alex said. “I always am.”

Ian nodded. He knew better than to thank the other man.

So he’d wait for news she was okay. Then he’d leave, ripping out his heart…along with hers. Because after her choices, what kind of partnership did they have? He might not be an expert on relationships, but he knew for sure without trust, they had nothing.

* * *

Riley had a concussion and mild bruising. The doctor told her she could go home as long as someone was there to make sure to check her every hour. He also advised her to watch for more severe symptoms—headache getting worse, vomiting, and extreme dizziness. Since she knew Ian wouldn’t let her out of his sight, she promised the doctor she’d follow his instructions. He left her to inform Ian and Alex of her condition and to send them in to see her.

She lay with her eyes closed, her head pounding, moving only when she heard the rustling of the curtain in her small cubicle. She opened her eyes in time to see Alex enter, and she immediately looked beyond him for Ian.

He wasn’t there.

“Where’s Ian?”

Alex settled into a chair beside the makeshift bed. “I’m sorry…he left.”

“Work emergency? Or is he that mad at me?” she asked.

Alex groaned. “I’ve seen him angry, and I wouldn’t say that now. He’s…hurt. Really hurt. What the hell were you thinking?”

“My father wanted cash. I was thinking that I’d pawn the necklace and buy myself some time to figure out what to do. Otherwise, he threatened to show up at places like the fundraiser and embarrass Ian. I didn’t want to put him or his family through that.”

He shook his head. “That’s bullshit.”

She raised her gaze. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me. You ran scared. The man told you to come to him with anything, and the first chance you had to do that, you took off on your own. To pawn the necklace he gave you to pay that lowlife son of a bitch.”

“I didn’t go through with it!” she said, raising her voice.

“That’s not the point!” he shouted back. “That moron I call a half brother is the best thing that ever happened to you, and you lost him, and why? Because you’re afraid to trust, that’s why. Everything has to be on your terms. You won’t accept help from the people who love you, including me. I know how that makes me feel, so I can only imagine how Ian’s suffering.”

Tears filled her eyes. “You’re taking his side?”

He grasped her hand. “I’m taking your side, Ri. Always. And I know that you love him.”

She blinked. “I never said that.”

“You didn’t have to.” He shook his head, his expression thoughtful. “Honest to God, if you had to fall for a guy, why did it have to be him?”

She managed a smile. “I don’t see how it matters. He’s gone.”

“Only because you won’t give him what he needs. Look, I’m the last guy to talk about relationships, but even I can see he’s changed for you. So why can’t you do the same thing for him?”