Grip Trilogy Box Set

Damn, he’s persistent.

“I promise you Sarah’s got it. She’s more than capable.”

“I’m sure she’s capable. You wouldn’t keep her if she weren’t. We’re not known for tolerating incompetence. Guess we got that from our parents.”

Among other things.

I leave that on the shelf because Rhyson and I have never gotten far discussing our parents. Come to think of it, there are a lot of things we don’t get far discussing outside of our business dealings.

“Besides Marlon, you’ve worked harder on this than anyone, Bris.” Rhyson leans forward. “You should be with him today, and you know it. So why are you here?”

“Drop it. Geesh.” I open my laptop and pull up my checklist for Grip’s listening party and release celebration. “Everything’s covered.”

The only sound in the office is my fingers flying over the keys. I glance up to find his cool eyes on my face. I pause my typing and lean back in my seat to cross my legs.

“What?” I lift a brow.

“Can I ask you something?”

“You just did.” My lips move a degree in a smile.

“What’s up with you and Marlon?” There’s no trace of a smile on his face, and his eyes hold only questions, no humor.

“Rhyson, leave it.” I sigh and lean toward my desk, back to my typing.

“I wasn’t going to bring this up because I didn’t think it would be a problem.” Rhyson frowns and runs a hand over the back of his neck, uncharacteristic discomfort on his face. “But Marlon told me about . . . you know.”

I stop typing to give him my full attention. “Not yet, I don’t know. He told you what?”

“He told me about you guys hooking up when you were here on spring break that time.” Rhyson pushes the words out like they burn his tongue.

“Oh, did he?” Irritation blisters beneath my skin. “I should go check the restroom. Maybe he wrote ‘for a good time call Bristol’ on the stalls, too.”

“Bris, it’s been a long time. He probably wouldn’t have told me now if it hadn’t been for the song. I had no idea ‘Top of the World’ was about you.”

“It doesn’t matter.” I fix my eyes on the screen. “Water under the bridge. Water that never went anywhere anyway.”

“That’s what I thought, but things have been weird lately,” Rhyson says. “And it’s none of my business.”

“Right.” I don’t look away from the sales report in one of my open browsers. “It’s not.”

“Until it affects my business,” Rhyson finishes, his tone stiff. “If things weren’t tense between the two of you, you’d be with Marlon today. We can’t have whatever is going on with you personally affecting business.”

“So what?” My eyes jerk to his face. “Are you here to write me up? Put a warning in my file? Give me a demerit? Whatever you came here to do, do it, say it so I can get back to work.”

“There’s no need to get defensive.”

“There is when you tell me you think I’m not doing my job because of some shit with Grip.”

I open yet another browser. Anything to avoid the curiosity in my brother’s eyes.

“Do you have feelings for him, Bristol?” Rhyson asks softly.

In all these years, he’s never asked me. Not once has Rhyson ever asked if I returned Grip’s feelings. He’s always assumed that when I brushed aside Grip’s advances, his flirtations, there was nothing to it on my end. Any hope I have that I’ll get out of this conversation without telling him something fades when he doesn’t drop it.

“Bris, look at me,” my brother demands.

I finally abandon my laptop, meeting his eyes. “Do you have feelings for Marlon?”