Page 30 of Sweet Surrender

There was one thing I felt secure in as I pulled a bag from the back seat and jogged up the front stairs—I didn’t have to worry about her exposing us to anyone. Not a chance. As far as everyone else was concerned, nothing had changed. I was confident enough in that to stroll into the house like nothing was wrong and call out, “Somebody pour me a fucking drink!”

The shouts coming from the kitchen drew me in that direction. I soon picked up the aroma of onions and garlic, which grew stronger the closer I drew.

“There you are!” Evan called out, sitting with his feet up on the long marble-topped table on the far side of the room. “Thank fuck, I’m starving.”

“Well, then, that was worth sitting in traffic for,” I muttered back, then flipped him off before accepting a hug from my sister, Rose.

“The usual, I assume?” Colton placed a glass of scotch in front of me on the island countertop before wrapping his arms around Rose’s waist. Would I threaten to kick his ass ever again, the way I did when I first found out about them? No, especially not when they were so into each other. Still, the sight of them cuddling always jarred me a little at first, even after three months.

“You should’ve taken the jet with us,” Valentina reminded me. Either she didn’t feel like cooking or didn’t know how. I would’ve bet on the latter since she sat on the counter with a glass of red wine, picking at Rose’s chopped vegetables for a big salad rather than contributing.

“I’ll know better next time.” I wanted the freedom to leave when I felt like it. I didn’t expect things to go south, but I wanted to be prepared.

As it was, Sienna hadn’t acknowledged me. Something about stirring sautéed vegetables was too fascinating, requiring her full attention. She only moved when Aria nudged her aside, sliding a tray of rolls into the oven.

If anything, I appreciated being ignored. It wasn’t far beyond the way things usually went between us anyway. She’d already hated me before we ever set eyes on each other at the club.

Lucian came in from the back patio with a platter of grilled chicken and salmon. It was easier and safer to gravitate toward the guys, bullshitting while the girls put the finishing touches on the meal. I stood with my back to them, which helped me resist the temptation to admire the way Sienna’s leggings fit her like a second skin and made her ass look more delectable than ever.

Sadly, there was no getting her off my mind.

“So, any slander thrown your way lately?” Lucian asked.

Busting balls was what we did best, so I let it go with nothing more than an eye roll. “Not recently. Things are going well.”

“Because Sienna kicks ass at what she does!” Aria chirped from across the room. Why she couldn’t be more reserved like her twin sister, Valentina, was beyond me.

I wanted to ask who the fuck was talking to her but bit my tongue. The girls cheered behind me, and I did my best to look like a normal person with a lot to be grateful for, which I was—all things considered. Aside from our personal issues, things were turning out better than I had imagined and on a faster timeline.

It was a relief when Evan changed the subject to what we would do in the morning, a conversation that carried us into the meal.

Did anyone notice how far Sienna went out of her way to keep from talking to me, looking at me, or acknowledging my presence across the table? It had to be my knowledge of the situation that made her behavior more obvious. Everyone else seemed to overlook it, even Rose, who knew her best.

She couldn’t keep this up forever. That was what I told myself as I half-heartedly helped clean up, then went outside with the guys to light the bonfire. Lucian and Evan carried a cooler while the girls trailed behind us with blankets once the fire was blazing. Their laughter floated from behind us as they descended the stairs leading down to the sand. So long as I wasn’t in Sienna’s face, she could be happy, and for some reason, I wanted that for her.

I stared out over the moonlight-painted water, my thoughts churning.

“Oh shit!”

I turned away from the water and found Sienna in the sand at the base of the stairs, gripping her ankle. “I only rolled it,” she told the girls as they gathered around. Colton jogged over too.” You all right, sis?”

She waved him off. “I’m fine. For real.”

Why did she look my way? “But… I might go up, anyway. I would rather do it now than later if it gets swollen. I’ll come back down in a while if it feels better.”

So long as I don’t have to be around Noah. I could see straight through her.

“There’s plenty of ice in the cooler to make you a pack,” Colton pointed out, but she wasn’t hearing it as she got on her feet, favoring the left ankle.

“I’ll help you up to the house,” I offered, approaching with an arm outstretched. “I left my flask up there, anyway. I’m glad I thought to bring it so I wouldn’t have to drink the cheap shit Evan bought,” I added, shouting over my shoulder and cueing up laughter.

Sienna didn’t laugh. “No, that’s fine.” She tried to back away, but it was no use. She would look ridiculous if she insisted on hobbling up the steps on her own. I draped her arm over my shoulders and started up the stairs with my arm around her waist.

She wouldn’t say a word as I helped her hop from one step to the next. How could she when she was busy grunting and huffing angrily? “Were you planning on ignoring me all weekend?” I asked once we had put some distance between us and the group.

“Shut up. I’m not in the mood.” Her voice was icy, empty. Now I understood there was something more intense than being hated. It was flat indifference.

“Somebody’s going to figure out you’ve got a problem with me. What are you going to say?”

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