Dirty Secret

I move into the hallway. Next to Cam. Maybe Ty wants to punch out his cousin. If he does—

I won't win the fight against machismo, but I can keep him from knocking out my boyfriend in my apartment.

Well, Cam isn't necessarily my boyfriend.

And Ty pays for this apartment.

But, uh—

Deep breath.

Slow exhale.

All the calm logic in the world.

"Ty, I appreciate your concern. And I appreciate you looking out for me. I know you're about to punch Cam because you think he hurt me," I say.

Ty's jaw cricks.

"And… if that's what you have to do, fine. I won't tell you how to handle your relationship with Cam. But you're not punching him in my apartment."

He doesn't pull rank as payer of the rent. He just stands and stares.

"And you're wrong. Cam hasn't hurt me. Not even in the normal way, the way you hurt Indigo three years ago." It's been agony, waiting for him to be ready, but a good agony. Like when he teases me again and again and—

Not sharing that with my brother-in-law.

"I'm an adult. I decide who I date, who I fuck, who I love. And I love him. So I'm going to have to ask you not to hurt him." I pull my robe tighter. It's really not helping my case, but here we are. "Please."

Ty stares at me with that expert poker face. "You love him?"

"Yes. And we… we were planning to tell you soon. But, uh, it's a long story. And I—"

"Wanted to fuck her first?" Ty addressees his cousin.

My cheeks flame with anger. "Hey, if you have an issue with Cam breaking his promise not to fuck me, that's between the two of you. But he's been working really hard on his issues." I stare back at him, no longer concerned with his ability to destroy me, or put a hit out on my boyfriend, or ruin my relationship with my sister. "Don't take that tone with him."

I guess Ty realizes he's being an asshole, because he softens. He turns to Cam, like we're not here. "Is that true?"

"Since I got back to London," he says.

"And you love her?" Ty asks.

"I do," Cam says.

He loves me.

Holy fuck.

My heart jumps into my throat. I open my mouth to speak, but I'm tongue tied.

Cam loves me.

And Ty might throw him off the roof.

And Cam loves me.

"So, uh, we'll talk about this tomorrow," Indie says. "Right, baby? We're going to let them unpack this revelation, and if you want to kill Cam, you can do it tomorrow."

"You won't hold it against me?" Ty asks her.

"If you kill him? Yeah, I like Cam. And he's my sister's boyfriend now." She looks to me we are so talking about this later. "And who would have thought Sienna would stick with one guy for months."

Ty actually chuckles. "That's true."

"And someone on the other side of the Atlantic," she says. "She can't get into trouble all the time."

"She'll find a way," Ty says.

"And I love that you want to protect her, I do. But she's my sister. It's my job," Indie says.

He shakes his head. "She's my sister too now." He turns to me. "You are, Sienna. You're not like a sister to me. You are my sister."

"And you wouldn't kill your sister's boyfriend," I say. "Because she'd never forgive you."

"Apparently, it wouldn't be good for my marriage." Ty squeezes my sister's hand. Then he releases it, turns to Cam. "But I'll take the risk if you hurt her. If you break her heart, I'll destroy you."

It's what I told him about Indie. I can't really object.

It's almost sweet.

Way too much. But that's Ty.

She whispers something in his ear.

He actually… smiles.

And Cam nods. "Of course."

And they… shake.

Okay…

Men are weird.

Indie shoots me one more I can't believe you kept this from me for half a year look then she says good night and drags her husband to the elevator.

I close the door.

For a minute, I stand there, shell-shocked, confused.

Ty was angry. And now he's… not angry.

My sister can talk him down.

Even if she doesn't, he won't kill Cam. He might kick his ass. Or throw a punch Cam won't dodge.

I didn't think Ty followed the bro code, but hey…

Male ego and paternalism and all that bullshit.

Ty means well. He's trying to protect me. He won't kill my boyfriend.

He won't kill his own cousin.

Hopefully.

And—

Cam closes the distance between us. "I do, Sienna." His fingers brush my cheek. "I can't say it yet, but I do."

He loves me.

He's not saying it to avoid Ty's rage.

Cam loves me.

He pulls me into a slow deep kiss.

And it's there.

All his love pours into me. And all my love pours into him.

This is weird and complicated and messy.

And I wouldn't have it any other way.

Epilogue

Sienna

When I was a kid, family dinners were my favorite part of the week. When Dad died, and the tradition ended, I missed the togetherness as much as I missed the ice cream sundaes.