Looking Inside

Trey exhaled heavily and sunk back in his chair. He was glad his brother felt okay talking to him about this, but at the same time, he couldn’t help but feel it was a bit of a backhanded compliment. They just sat there gloomily in silence. It was like they’d just attended a funeral and were wrestling with the heaviness of their thoughts. Death made you feel all alone with your insecurities and doubts. Maybe that’s what love did too. The Riordan brothers’ reaction to their first encounter with true love would have struck Trey as both pitiful and funny if it didn’t feel so damn serious.

“That’s what you’re worried about the most?” he asked Kevin eventually. “That you’ll find out something about her

you don’t like?”

“I guess. Or maybe worse, she’ll find out something about me she doesn’t like and can’t live with.”

“Yeah, I hear you,” Trey agreed, understanding that angle completely. For a few seconds, they didn’t speak, each of them lost in their thoughts. Something occurred to him.

“You know how Dad makes that disgusting, weird noise in his throat all the time while he’s watching TV at night? Because his sinuses start to drain once he’s settled down from all the activity of the day?”

Kevin blinked. “Yeah.”

“I heard Mom say once that you know it’s real when you encounter another person’s phlegm on a regular basis, and you’re still in love with them.”

A grin slowly broke over Kevin’s face. “That sounds like Mom.”

Trey chuckled in agreement.

“So you’re telling me that I have to expect phlegm along with all the brilliant, sweet, incredibly sexy things about Elizabeth?”

“I’m saying you shouldn’t be afraid of the phlegm.” Kevin’s eyebrows went up. “Because it’s Elizabeth’s phlegm. As for your phlegm, well . . . let’s just hope Elizabeth is a hell of lot more generous than you.”

Kevin just stared at him with a blank, stunned look.

Trey gave a helpless shrug. “Hey man, you came to me. What the hell do I know?”

Kevin laughed gruffly, some of the tension leaving his body. He reached for his glass.

“Maybe you know more than either one of us thought you did,” he said before he stood and walked over to the windows again, this time wearing a small smile.

—

On Saturday morning, Eleanor got up early and showered. She was determined to get out of the condo and do something purposeful. It’d been a long, restless night. She didn’t want to prolong the unpleasantness into the daytime by bingeing on Netflix and Russian dumplings all day, thinking about Trey’s abrupt departure, or wondering when she might see him again. One thing was certain: her mental conversations would drive her stark raving mad if she let them.

What if that text he got wasn’t really from his brother at all? What if he just needed an excuse to leave? What if he’d really just wanted to get away to reconnect with the gorgeous Alessandra?

Okay, now you’re just being completely paranoid.

Really? How many men do you know who would turn down a woman like Alessandra for you?

One. Trey. He did it last night.

Yeah, but the night was still young when he left . . .

God, she hated that snide little bitch in her head.

Besides, she didn’t even have a right to be concerned about him sleeping with someone else. She’d agreed with Trey that all she wanted was an unconditional agreement for mutual pleasure.

Yeah, but when you made that agreement, you were in the midst of a performance, weren’t you? The adventurous little slut you were playing might not mind. But you’re sure as hell starting to.

Those were the type of self-dialogues she longed to escape by the time she left her building at eleven that morning.

She’d called Jimmy and they agreed to meet for an early lunch in Logan Square at a favorite cafe. She owed him another apology for her abrupt departure last night. Plus, she was dying to hear how Alessandra had reacted to her and Trey leaving within minutes of each another.

It ashamed her a little, that she was so gratified when Jimmy told her the cool English beauty had abruptly altered into a snarling bitch when Trey had calmly stood, tossed a hundred-dollar bill on the table, shook Jimmy’s hand and told Alessandra he hoped she had a safe flight back to London.

“She calmed down after a bit, though,” Jimmy said after they’d been served their lunch.