The Inevitable

I consider going to her place, but I don’t want to push too hard, so instead, I try to finish grading the papers, which ends up taking twice as long as it normally would since I can’t focus for shit. The longer my phone call and text goes unanswered, the deeper the sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach goes.

Just when I’m about to say fuck it and go to Sierra’s place to explain my side, my phone rings.

“Please, let me explain,” I beg when I answer her call.

“Explain that your brother is an undercover cop who was investigating Brenton, and instead of telling my sister, he let her continue to hang out with him and put her and Zane in harm’s way? I already know.”

“There’s more to it than that.”

“You and Keegan lied and kept important shit from us,” she says, her voice resigned. “That’s exactly what my dad did, and it’s exactly what I was afraid of happening to me.” No. No. No, No, No…

“It is not the same thing.”

“My sister could’ve had Zane taken away!” she yells, her voice filled with heartache. Heartache I inadvertently caused. “And for what? So your brother could catch a drug dealer? He put his job above his family, just like our dad did, and you sat back and watched it all happen!”

“No. Keegan was watching them. He was following them everywhere. He never would’ve let anything happen to them. Please, you have to trust me.”

“It doesn’t change the fact that you lied and kept things from me, and now, I can’t trust you,” she says, her voice cracking with emotion. “I don’t know what’ll happen between Keegan and my sister, but as for us… we’re over.”

She hangs up on me, and I want to call her back, beg her to listen, to see reason. I want to go over there and make her understand why he did what he did. But I can’t do any of that until Keegan talks to Blakely.

Shit! I slam my phone on the table. Will the domino effect of my choices back then ever come to a stop?

“How are things with you and Sierra?” Keegan asks at breakfast three days later.

“Not good. I can’t really do much when I can’t tell her the entire story.”

Keegan flinches. “Shit, I’m sorry. I didn’t even consider that. Look,” he says, taking a sip of his coffee. “If you want to tell Sierra, you can, but if you can ask her to please let me tell Blakely, I would appreciate it.”

“Thanks,” I say, standing and patting him on the shoulder. “I’m not sure if she’ll even hear me out, but I appreciate it.”

“Brenton got out on bail. I’m going to head over to campus to make sure he doesn’t fuck with Blakely.”

“He shouldn’t even be on campus.”

“Doesn’t mean he won’t be.”

Ten minutes later, my brother and I arrive on campus and walk toward the psychology building when I spot none other than Brenton and Blakely in a heated argument in the quad.

“Fuck!” Keegan yells, ready to charge over and lay Brenton out.

“Stop! Let me handle it. You don’t want to take a chance of getting into it with Brenton and fucking up the case. Call for backup.”

“They’re already on campus.” He yanks out his phone, no doubt to give them the location of where we are while he steps into the shadows so nobody sees him.

I stalk over to Brenton and Blakely. “You need to get the hell away from her right fucking now,” I yell at Brenton, who’s now in Blakely’s face.

“I was just talking to her,” Brenton says.

“And now you’re not.” I step between them. “Walk away.”

“The only place I’m walking to is class,” Brenton points out.

“Actually, you’re not. You obviously haven’t checked your email. You’ve been withdrawn from your classes and expelled from this university.”

“You can’t fucking do that!” Brenton roars, making Blakely jump in fear.

“It’s already been done. If you want to argue about it, speak to the dean.” I take Blakely’s hand, needing to get her away from Brenton before Keegan flips his shit. “Let’s go,” I murmur as we round the corner to where Keegan and two other officers are standing.

“You were here the whole time?” she asks Keegan.

“Of course,” Keegan says. “But I know you want your space.” He shrugs. “I told you you’d be safe no matter what and that someone would be on you.”

“Thank you.”

I’m distracted the entire time in class, but I still somehow manage to get through the lecture. Once class is dismissed, I head out to The Orange Sunrise, needing to speak to Sierra since Keegan is okay with me telling her everything.

Chapter Eleven

Sierra

I feel him before I see him. Kolton. The man I’ve fallen in love with. I’ve been thinking about him every second of every minute since I hung up on him. The tiny hairs on the back of my neck rise, and my belly tightens in anticipation as I watch him walk over to where I’m standing at the hostess stand.