And he didn’t even want to think about how she knew that Belle was his sister, because he was damn certain he’d never told her about that.
“Will you be coming on Saturday?” Carlyn asked, unaware of the turmoil in his mind.
“Where?” His voice was low. He was trying to swallow down the anger, but it wasn’t working.
“To the gallery. Belle’s coming in to talk about the show. We’ll go through some of her ideas and think about placements and timings. It’d be so lovely to have you there. We could catch up on old times.”
Shit, shit, shit. The thought of her being alone with his little sister made him want to hit something. “I’ll need to ask Belle. If she wants me to, I’ll be there.”
Carlyn’s brows knitted. “Well, I’m sure she’d want your help. You should come.”
“We’ll see.” He pressed his lips together. The last thing he wanted to do on his day off was go to Carlyn’s damn gallery. But if Belle needed his help he’d do it. That’s what big brothers did.
White hot anger seared through his brain as his feet pounded the sand, his lungs screaming for relief as he pushed himself harder, faster, further. This was all his own damn fault. And he had no idea how to get out of the tangled web he’d woven for himself. He couldn’t take out a restraining order now without hurting Belle. She had her heart set on having her show in a gallery, and if he had a restraining order on Carlyn that wouldn’t happen.
He’d called Belle as soon as he’d gotten home, and she’d loved the idea of him coming with her to the gallery.
“I’d love you to come to the gallery with me. It’ll be fun.” She’d sounded so excited, he couldn’t bring himself to tell
her the truth about Carlyn.
So yeah, he’d be going on Saturday despite his bad feelings.
So what, you’re just going to let Carlyn think there’s a chance?
He knew right away that dating her had been a mistake. Yes, she was pretty, and maybe she was a nice person, too. But there had been no pull between them. No attraction – on his side, at least. But he’d finished the meal and given her a ride home to make sure she got there safely, which had given her the wrong idea.
She’d asked him to come inside, leaving him in no doubt that she was offering more than coffee.
When he’d declined, she’d started to cry. Told him that this was her first date after her failed marriage and she was so afraid that she’d be alone forever. And in his stupidity, rather than tell her the truth, he’d asked her on a second date.
That one had gone even worse than the first. And he’d realized that it was cruel to keep her hoping when there was no future between them. So he’d gently let her down, telling her he had no room in his life for relationships. That she’d find somebody who was perfect for her – but it wasn’t him.
The next week she’d come into the ER with stomach pain. And so it had begun. He hadn’t wanted to make a scene at the hospital, so he dealt with it. She was just a little obsessed, that was all. She’d get tired eventually.
But she hadn’t yet, had she? And now she was interfering in his sister’s life, too. His gentle rebuffs and refusals had done nothing but make her more determined.
He needed to find a way to stop her for good.
Yeah, well good luck with that.
The idea came to him in the shower, when he was furiously rubbing shampoo into his dark hair. If he took a date to their meeting, maybe she’d realize he was serious about their having no future.
But who could he take? The nurses at work would laugh, and he’d never live down the humiliation. And all his friends were couples – there was no way he could ask one of them to help.
Climbing out of the shower, he grabbed a towel to rub his hair, walking into his bedroom where he looked at his shared wall with Meghan Hart.
Meghan.
He swallowed hard. Could that work? Would she even be up for it? He pulled on some shorts and a pair of jeans, his brows furrowed as he tried to think it through.
Maybe he could offer her something in return for her help. Make it a mutually beneficial arrangement. She would come with him to the gallery and pretend to be his date, and he’d repay her somehow. That way Carlyn would back off, and Belle would still get her show, and everybody would be happy.
Shrugging on a shirt, he raked his fingers through his hair and inhaled slowly, trying to push the fury out of his mind. This could definitely work, as long as Meghan agreed to it.
And he’d make sure she did somehow.
He laced up his shoes and grabbed his keys, walking along the hall to apartment 10B. Curling his fingers into a fist, he rapped on the door, hoping to hell that she was there.