“Did I miss something?” I say, ripping a bra from my drawer. “I haven’t said a word. I haven’t done anything.”
Slowly, he turns me to face him before draping the towel around my dripping body and fastening it. Eyes locked, tension-filled seconds tick by before he steps away.
“We need to talk. Get dressed and meet me downstairs.”
Pulling on a sundress, I cock my head when I hear the distinct clanging of pans downstairs. Confused, I take them two at a time before I hit the landing crossing the dining room to find Tobias, in Roman’s kitchen…chopping.
“What in the hell are you doing?” I demand from the doorway.
“Cooking,” he replies dryly, keeping his eyes on his task.
“You do realize you’re in Roman Horner’s kitchen?”
He…grins, and I do a double-take. The sight of him without his jacket, his button-down rolled up revealing thick veined, muscular forearms does unwelcome things to me.
“You’re smiling about the fact that you’re in his kitchen, cooking for his daughter?”
“I find it oddly satisfying.”
He pops an olive into his mouth from an open container on the counter when the back door slams. I jump out of my skin and eye Tobias—who’s completely at ease—just before Tyler appears in the doorway, “All good.”
Tobias nods in reply, seeming satisfied. Tyler’s eyes soften when he notices me standing on the other side of the island. I can’t help the sting that starts behind my eyes when his dimple appears as he makes his way toward me. “Look at you. You only get more beautiful.” I can feel Tobias’s curious stare at our exchange from where he stands.
The closer Tyler gets, the more I notice the differences in him. Though his hair is still close to a regulation military cut, he looks more of an islander at this point, his skin sun-drenched. There’s a sparkle in his brown eyes that was absent the last time I saw him at Delphine’s. He looks healthy and happy. I refrain from throwing my arms around him and asking all the questions I so desperately want answers to, the presence of the bastard only feet away stifling me to the point I feel like the outsider.
And that’s the truth of it—I am the outsider.
The fact that they’re in the same room feels odd, only reiterating that I showed up in the midst of something that started long ago. Not only are they acquainted, they consider themselves brothers. Whether we were close or not, Tyler’s allegiance isn’t to me. It’s to the man standing across from me burning holes into the both of us.
Tyler stops a foot away, hesitance in his posture. “I’ve missed you, girl.”
I snap my gaze to his, crossing my arms.
“Oh, now I exist? How convenient.”
He sighs. “I know you’re angry—”
“Angry?” I harrumph. “That’s putting it mildly.”
“Cee—”
I shake my head, unwilling to listen to his bullshit excuse. “Don’t bother. What are you doing here?”
He winces. “Errands.”
I dart my glare to Tobias, who matches it unapologetically, long seconds passing as he refuses to give any explanation. Tyler reads the energy in the room and clears his throat, hitching his thumb over his shoulder. “I guess, I guess I’ll head out.”
Tobias nods. “I’ll get with you later.”
“All right, man.” Tyler eyes me, reluctant to leave. “It was good to see you, Cee.”
I don’t bother to answer him, my hurt front and center as he lingers a beat before he turns, his posture deflating. He’s halfway across the kitchen when a rogue thought occurs to me.
“Was it you?” I look over to Tobias, whose jaw sets in a hard line before turning my attention back to Tyler. “You promised to be there for me, have my back. I considered you a friend.”
“I do have your back. Always will.” He stalks toward me and takes my hand. “And I am your friend,” he swears, darting his stare to Tobias and then back to me. “No, Cee, it wasn’t me. And trust me, I’m paying for it.”
And I believe him. He was there from the beginning. The idea that he sold the three of us out is ridiculous and would be insulting if he hadn’t turned his back on me.
“I know it wasn’t,” I admit begrudgingly, and swallow. I lift my eyes to his and resent the shake in my voice. “I’m so fucking mad at you.”
“I know. So is he,” he jerks his head toward Tobias. He leans in and presses a kiss to my cheek. “I’m sorry. And I just wanted to say thank you.”