Dylan (Inked Brotherhood 4)

“What do you mean?”

She shrugs. “Still trying to figure out where I’m heading. How to escape my past. What to do about the future. Isn’t that what you meant?”

“Thereabouts.”

She grins at me, her teeth very white in her nut-brown face. “And I know all about boy trouble.”

Right. Megan likes Rafe, but Rafe is hard to read, and nobody knows if he’s interested. Lately, he’s gone off the radar altogether, and Zane is worried. Hell, we all are, but Zane seems to know more about Rafe’s past than any of us.

“It’s more than that.” I pick up my mug again and stare into the swirling chocolate. “It’s also family trouble, and life-turn-about trouble… As for the boy, that’s ancient history.”

Or should be.

“Are we talking about Dylan? Because he looks very much

present, to me.” Megan scrunches up her pretty face, and I bite my tongue.

Of course. She knows the whole Inked Brotherhood. Comes with the territory of being friends with Zane. And of course she knows I love Dylan.

Not love. Loved. Past tense. It’s over now.

Or should be.

The memory of his strong arms around me, his lips on me, his body moving against mine… Why the heck did I ever think having sex with him would be a good idea?

… Oh, right. I wasn’t thinking. Yesterday I refused to think, because I wanted it so much. And now…

“You want to talk boys?” I mutter irritably, pissed at myself. “Then let’s talk about Rafe.”

A blush colors her cheeks. “Let’s not.” She rises from her seat. “I should be working.”

Crap. “God, Megan.” I rub my face with both hands. “Please ignore me today, okay? I’m in a bad mood.”

“No worries.” She flashes me a quick smile and turns away, but not before I see pain flicker through her eyes.

Good job, Tessa. Misery loves company, but that doesn’t mean you get to inflict pain on others just because you’re miserable. Not fair.

Guilt, my constant companion, returns in a rush, and I bow my head. Dammit. Where is Erin? What am I doing here?

What am I going to do?

The downward spiral of my thoughts is broken by the ringing of my cell. I draw it out of my bag and hit the connect button.

“Erin. Is everything okay? Where are you?”

“Tess, sorry!” She sounds out of breath. “I completely forgot we were meeting for coffee, and when Dylan told us what happened, I said I’d take Miles home to shower and change and then take him to school, and now I’m too late to meet you.”

What is she talking about? Did Dylan tell them what happened between us?

“That’s okay. Hey, Erin…” I open my mouth, close it, and try again. “What do you mean about Dylan? What’s going on?”

“Teo was sick again yesterday, so Dylan took him to the ER, and it turns out it’s more serious than they thought. Lyme disease, and they’d keeping the boy in until they’ve run a full battery of tests, and Dylan is staying by his side. But Miles needs to go to school, and Dylan doesn’t even have a car, so today he called again and asked us if we could help.”

“I see.” He didn’t call me yesterday to ask for help. Of course he didn’t. I’m the last person he wants to see. “No problem.”

“Hey.” She sounds distracted. I wonder if she’s driving. “I told Dylan I could pick Miles up from school, but I just realized I’m teaching a new student at that time. Could you pick him up? If you don’t have classes. And if you don’t mind. I mean…”

“I’m not going to class,” I mutter.