“Uh-huh. I can’t keep it a secret any longer.” She gazed up at me through her long lashes, and warmth circled my chest.
“Barrett tamed? Who knew?” Magnus shook his head, a grin spreading into his beard.
Even though his life had just imploded with a cheating wife didn’t mean he could rain on my fucking rainbow parade. I shot him back a shut-the fuck-up glare.
“Maybe all he needed was a good woman,” Lourde said, squeezing my thigh.
“Evi-fucking-dently,” Ari said, taking us both in. I didn’t care what either of them thought, and neither did Lourde.
“Just like Dane and me. I think he’ll propose soon. I have a feeling.” Grace sat up, suddenly coming back to life after a brief nap on the couch.
“Jesus, back from the dead?” Ari asked as we all laughed at the jack-in-the-box that just sprang to life.
“Seriously, oh my God, how exciting, Grace!” Lourde swooned. I wanted to give her that same feeling. I really did, but if I couldn't share my past with her, what future could we really have? One built on lies and mistrust. Losing her wasn’t something I was willing to risk.
“What the fuck is going on here?” Connor’s voice cut through the speaker bass. Immediately I moved away from Lourde as she disentangled herself from me
I heard Ari mumble something under his breath, but I ignored it.
“Connor, what are you doing back?” Lourde turned around, facing her brother, her high-pitched tone not doing us any favors in the guilty department.
“My jacket.”
Fuck.
With my back to Connor, I took in Ari and Magnus. Like two nervous little schoolboys being caught looking through the peephole into the girls’ bathrooms, their faces were grim.
“I repeat, what the fuck is going on here. Barrett?”
I slowly stood up, turning around so we were at eye level. I didn’t get scared, but the way his eyes narrowed, his nostrils flared, and his shoulder stiffened—in all our years, I’d never seen him look so fucking mad.
“Maybe we should go somewhere more private, Connor.”
Connor cross-examined us both, then back around at the lingering people in the apartment who were not so subtly staring our way.
“Fine,” he snapped, baring his teeth in barely-there control.
Lourde, who looked like a deer seconds away from being eaten by a lion, was now standing beside me.
“Come with me,” Lourde said.
As I walked behind Connor, I noticed Magnus, Ari, and Grace fall in behind us, all following us into the room where Lourde was leading us.
A quick glance back, and I saw Ari shaking his head, Magnus guzzling his beer, and Grace alert and worried for her friend.
Ari grabbed my arm. “We’re outside.”
Fuck me.I didn’t need support. I never had.
I shut the door behind me, feeling the weight in the room and the machine-gun spray of bullets Connor was leveling at my back.
“Tell me what the fuck is going on because I sure as hell don’t think my best friend is screwing my baby sister.”
I walked over to Lourde so I was standing beside her. She held her hands in front of her, fidgeting with her fingers. “Look, Connor, we wanted to tell you.”
“You fucking what?” Connor stepped in to deck me, but I didn’t move.
“Stop it, Connor, and just listen, please.” Lourde stepped between and caused Connor to step back.
“I love him,” she said with her hands on her brother’s chest.”
“You fucking what?”
“I love him,” she repeated.
He looked at his sister, then took me in, in disbelief. Anger mixed with confusion etched his blue now indigo eyes.
“It started in the Hamptons when you suggested I stay with him.”
“I knew I couldn’t trust you. What did I say to you? I said not to fucking touch her. He is a player, Lourde. We all are. He’s slept with most of Manhattan.”
“That was in the past, Conner,” I said. “Lourde’s different. I’ve never cared about anyone as much as Lourde.”
“You fucking asshole!” He leaned over his sister, grabbing me by the shirt.
I lurched forward but did not retaliate when he shoved me with my back against the wall.
“Stop, please, Connor,” Lourde pleaded.
“You can fucking hit me, but you won’t stop me from seeing her.”
His hand smashed into the wall next to my head, but I didn’t flinch. Nothing scared me, not even Connor Diamond.
“You can smash my face up, but she means everything to me, Connor.”
I stared at him in the eyes, not blinking. His chest rose and fell sharply, and his arm swooped back, ready to strike.
Lourde was behind him, pleading and saying something I couldn’t understand.
“Fuck you!” He slammed his fist into the wall, this time piercing through the drywall.