When Stars Collide (Light in the Dark 2)

“What did I do to you?” he finally asks.

My head whips toward him. “Nothing.”

He shakes his head, laughing softly but the sound is humorless. “It must’ve been something, because not only did you think you couldn’t tell me you were in love with my sister, but you didn’t even tell me you made the fu

cking team.”

I wince. “I didn’t mean to piss you off by not telling you. I just …” I run my fingers through my hair. “It’s always been you and me since we were kids. And you were excited for that to continue with us working together for my dad, and I-I don’t know, I guess I didn’t want to burst your bubble. Stupid, I know.” I shake my head.

Cade sighs. “I guess we’re not kids anymore, huh?” He glances toward the night sky.

“No.” I laugh. “Definitely not.”

“Fuck.” He chuckles. “We’re adults, and it’s weird.”

I’m surprised to hear him laugh, and I do too. “Yeah, it is,” I agree.

“You’re married,” he says, “playing football for a living, and I’m with the girl of my dreams, doing what I always wanted to do. I guess it was only inevitable that our paths in life divulge, but I wasn’t ready for it.” He inhales a deep breath. “I don’t like change.” He laughs loudly.

“It’s not changing that much,” I tell him. “At the end of the day, we’re all the same people.”

He laughs, raising a brow. “People that keep secrets?”

“Touché.” Silence settles in the air, and after a moment, I say, “I’m sorry. I hope you know that.”

“I know,” he says, and looks at me. “I’m sorry too, you know.”

“Why?” I can’t help myself from asking.

He sighs. “It’s my fault you didn’t tell me. Especially about Thea. I was such a prick about that for years. I used to tell myself the reason I didn’t want you guys together was the obvious, she’s my sister, and if you guys got together and broke up it could put me in a bad position of having to choose between you. But I think now—” He pauses. “I think there was also a part of me that was scared that you two would run off and leave me behind. I always knew when we were kids that you two had a special bond, and I know it’s fucking stupid, but I think I was jealous of that and it’s just carried over through the years even as we grew up.” He shrugs. “Which is ironic, because I met Rae and fell in love and basically ditched you guys, so it’s the same difference.”

“You haven’t ditched us.” He gives me a look and I laugh. “Okay, so maybe you have, but it happens.”

Cade stands up and looks down at me. “This thing with Thea and you is going to take some getting used to, but I can’t say having you as an official part of the family is the worst thing.”

“Thanks.” I think.

He nods and heads inside. Before I can follow him, Thea bursts outside. She must’ve been standing just inside the door waiting.

“Did he hurt you?” she asks. “Punch you? Kick you? Slap you like a middle school girl on crack?”

I laugh and shake my head, walking up the deck steps to meet her.

“No, nothing like that. I think we’re cool now.”

She looks from me and back to the door. “Oh, thank God.”

I throw my arm over her shoulder, tucking her into my side, and reach for the door.

She looks up at me and a smile touches her lips. “It looks like everything’s going to be okay.”

I nod and press my lips to her forehead. “Looks that way.”

But I know we have so many more challenges ahead of us, and I can only hope that they don’t break us.

“A blindfold, really, Xander? If you wanted to get kinky you should’ve just said something.” I twirl the scrap of black fabric around my finger, waiting for his response.

He chuckles. “That wasn’t the plan, but now that you mention it …”