Beneath the Stars (Falling Stars 4)

I glanced at Rhys who watched me with all that care and affection. He lifted his chin. “Go on, Sweet Thing.”

“But we need to talk.”

“Think you’d better clear the air with your brother before we clear up anythin’ else.”

I hesitated.

“We’ll talk later,” he rumbled. “Promise.”

“Okay.”

I started to walk away, but he snatched me by the wrist and swung me back around.

A giggle busted out on its own accord.

Thanks to my brother, this wasn’t exactly a happy moment, but still, I felt like flying.

Caught between joy and the injustice of what Royce had done.

Rhys dipped down for a swift kiss that stole my breath. When he pulled back, he was grinning one of those grins and ruining me all over again. “Now that I can kiss you any time I want, not gonna be the fool who squanders it. Now don’t be too hard on your brother. Thanks to this mornin’, I get to be kissin’ on my girl any time I want. And I want.”

He waggled his brows.

Pure teasing.

Giddiness leapt.

I popped up on my toes and gave him the peck of another.

“Promise?” Lightness wound its way into my tone.

His hand framed my face, running down to tip up my chin. Affection rippled through his expression. “All the time, Sweet Thing.”

I stared for a beat.

Locked.

Held.

Happy.

“Now go on before I carry you back to my bed and your brother doesn’t see you for the next three days.”

He winked.

And I finally understood what it meant to swoon.

My heart fluttery and my body flustered.

Slowly, I forced myself to pull away. I ran my fingers through my hair, trying to straighten myself out as I thought about facing down my brother.

I was incredibly angry, but I guessed there was a part of me that understood, too.

I’d kept my brother in the dark. Made him question. Made him paranoid. Made him worry. Not that it was an excuse since I hadn’t told him in the first place because I’d worried he’d pull something like this.

“He’s in our room,” Emily said like encouragement.

I nodded as I passed by her, and she reached out and squeezed my hand. “He really feels awful, Maggie. I’m not makin’ excuses for him because that was unwarranted and irrational, and I’m really pissed off, too. But I know him, and I know when he’s hurtin’. And he’s hurtin’ bad.”

She glanced at Rhys with a playful grin. “Maybe not hurtin’ as bad as your boyfriend here, though.”

Boyfriend.

A blaze of giddiness had me clamping my teeth down on my bottom lip, and I tossed my attention to Rhys who chuckled low.

“Nah, I let him get at me. Dude’s lucky. Would’ve gotten his ass handed to him had I let go.”

Rolling her eyes, Emily started for him, her country drawl thick with her annoyance. “You both would have had your asses handed to you. At least you had some wits about you. Who knows what would have happened if the two of you had really gotten into it.” She went to the cabinet where the medical supplies were stored. “Now I’m gonna need you to put on a shirt if you expect me to doctor you up because…” She curled her nose. “Gross.”

“Ah, come now, Em-Girl. You’re just sad your man doesn’t look like all of this.” He puffed out his glorious chest, and his chuckle grew easier.

With that, I forced myself out because a girl could really get distracted.

I took in a couple cleansing breaths. Trying to exhale the anger that wanted to fester and take root. When I felt calm enough, I left my room and headed down the hall to the opposite wing. I gave a soft knock to the partially cracked door before I nudged it open.

Royce sat on the end of their bed, bent over with his face buried in his hands.

Torment and regret blistered from his being.

I stepped in and snapped the door shut behind me.

“Hey,” I murmured, cautiously edging his direction. I dragged the footstool from the lounger up closer to him and settled on it a few feet away.

For a long time, we sat in silence. No doubt, my brother was dwelling in his self-imposed misery. I would have rubbed it in except for the fact I could feel his sorrow. The truth of his regret.

Finally, he looked up at me.

A part of him crushed.

“I’m sorry.” He heaved it out like a load that crashed to the ground, clanking and battering on the hardwood floors.

“That wasn’t right.”

He rubbed his hand over his mouth. “I know that, Maggie. I know. But I…I woke up to those pictures…” He swallowed like the thought of them were still bitter. “I lost it, Maggie. Fucking lost it.”

I gave him a slight nod. “You did. You didn’t even give us a chance to explain.”

“Because I never want anything to harm or hurt you, and I just reacted.”