Hating You, Loving You (Inked Hearts 4)

"It might. If I dial it up to ten."

He shakes his head. "I'm gonna babysit you until you spill." His voice is steady.

His expression is confident.

I know my brother.

He isn't going to back down.

But that doesn't mean I have to make this easy for him.

The Keurig spits out the last drop of tea. I wrap my fingers around the paper cup. Bring it to my lips.

It's terrible, but the familiarity is comforting all the same.

I take a seat on the bench opposite his. Sip my tea like this is a normal Tuesday afternoon. "How's your girl?"

"Good. How's yours?"

"You heard Em. She isn't my girl anymore."

He raises a brow really, you're stopping there.

Yeah. That feels like a good place to stop. I opened my heart with Chloe. Now she's gone. What's the fucking point?

"Why'd she end things?"

"Why do you care?"

"You're my brother. My friend. I love you."

"Didn't realize you could admit that."

He shoots me that same really look.

I nod. Yeah. Really. Ryan isn't the cuddly type.

"Did she end things?"

"What do you think?" The sass does nothing to soothe me. It's empty. Useless.

"You're only convincing me you need help."

I guess I do.

"Let's try this again." He turns so we're face-to-face. "Why did Chloe end things?"

I reach for a sarcastic response. Find nothing. I don't need attitude. I need understanding. And nobody gets heartbreak better than Ryan does. "She didn't say."

"You do something?"

I rack my brain for something, anything. "I fell in love with her."

"Does she know?"

"Maybe. I didn't tell her."

"You should."