Page 72 of Stolen Summer

From my angle, I could only see the side profiles of the brothers, but I’m sure Cole’s eyes darkened. “Fuck off, Brody. That has nothing to do with it. Since when are you such a snob? You sound like Dad.”

“Someone has to smack some sense into you,” Brody replied, his tone lower, and my ears strained to make sure I heard him right.

A moment of silence followed before Cole responded. “I know what I’m doing. If Dad sent you here to try and talk me into marrying Gianna, you can tell him to fuck off as well.”

My pulse kicked up at the mention of another girl.

Brody sighed as if he didn’t want to argue with Cole. “If it’s not you, then it’s Crew. We both know who is more likely to do what’s best for the family.”

Cole scoffed. “If this was really about family, our opinion would matter. It doesn’t. You marry her. That would solve all our problems.”

Brody shook his head. His hair was shorter than Cole’s and didn’t have the same movement, and the sun picked up hints of red Cole didn’t have. “You know I’m already committed.”

The sun had dried most of the water off Cole’s chest, but his hair and shorts were soaked as he sat at the end of a lounge chair. “How fucking lucky for you. At least you got to choose who you spend your life with.”

Brody followed, sitting opposite from his brother, his elbows resting on his knees as he leaned forward. “Marry her, then divorce her five years later. Take a mistress if you're set on love, which we both know that’s not what this is about. Hell, take ten mistresses. Seems more your style. I don’t give a shit. This deal is important. If you want to maintain your playboy lifestyle, especially if you want to keep your pet around, you’ll be there to sign the agreement at the end of the summer. Or Crew will. I don’t care which one of you walks through those boardroom doors.”

My throat went dry, and I wished I’d brought my bubble tea with me.

Cole glanced at the house. “I wouldn’t hold your fucking breath.”

“Cole,” Brody growled. “I’m not fucking around. I don’t see why this is a problem. You slept with that rich bitch for months.”

Cole’s gaze snapped back to his older brother’s, tension tightening his muscles. “Yes, I fucked her, Brody. Until she threw herself at Crew. Did you forget that little crumb of information?”

I gasped, perhaps too loudly. Brody’s granite gaze flicked to the doors, and I couldn’t tell whether he saw my shadow through the glass reflection, but I had a feeling he knew I was eavesdropping. His eyes returned to Cole to pin him with dismissiveness. “As if you haven’t fucked the same girl before.”

Cole didn’t bat an eye at Brody’s jab. “On our terms. Always our terms. Gianna isn’t as naïve as she portrays. Don’t be fooled by her innocent act. I could never trust her.”

Nothing Brody said surprised me based on the rumors that buzzed around town about the Riley boys. When they were in Fallen Oaks, the house became a revolving door for every girl within fifty miles.

Except me.

I waited until the house had been cleared out before sneaking over, wanting no part in the parties the family threw yearly.

“You don’t need to trust her. You need to trust me,” Brody said, some of the harshness vacating his voice.

The heat and resolve in Cole’s gaze softened, and the tightness in his shoulders relaxed a fraction. My hands curled into fists on the table as I watched, not liking the way Brody manipulated Cole. It was dirty to use Cole’s love and trust for his brother to sway Cole into something he clearly stated he didn’t want. “Fuck,” Cole said, shoving a hand through his wet locks.

Brody stood, his shadow looming over Cole. “I need to get back into the city. Dad’s expecting you and Crew for dinner on Sunday. We need to do some damage control. The news of your spur-of-the-moment engagement is making its way through the circles.”

“I haven’t agreed to anything,” Cole said with a sigh and a slight scowl.

“You’ll do the right thing,” Brody said, clasping Cole on the shoulder, but the way the words came out wasn’t in encouragement but more of a death sentence.

If Cole did agree to marry Gianna, did that mean our deal was off? What about the other half of the money? If I didn’t stay, did that mean I wouldn’t get the rest? To be fair, fifty thousand was more than I had when the summer started. I would have agreed to this bargain for far less, which didn’t explain the sudden dread in my stomach.

Did I want to stay with Cole to the end?

Was I actually enjoying myself?

If this ended between us, that also meant I had to return to my life, to my job, to being the poor girl the town pitied yet rejected.

I didn’t want that life. I wanted to shape a new one.

Brody halted when he saw me sitting at the table, his somber eyes hardening. I felt as if I’d just gotten busted.

Can this get more awkward? Not how I imagined meeting his brother. “I should go,” I mumbled, averting my eyes from Brody’s intense stare and quickly standing from the table. My fingers pressed firmly to the front of the towel to keep it from falling to my feet.

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