Page 2 of Hard to Take

“Miles was the perfect boyfriend, in public and private. Right up until he left in the middle of the night.”

Her eyes widen. “He didn’t say anything?”

“A one-sentence note on hotel stationary about sending me a limo and seeing me when I got back to Denver.”

Nova taps her chin. “But you haven’t talked since?”

I shake my head.

When I got back to Denver in the limo Miles sent, it wasn’t my fake boyfriend but my brother who opened the door.

"We need to talk." Jay’s face was determined and a little angry.

"About?” I shifted out, shoving down the emotions ricocheting around my body as he helped me get my bag out of the trunk.

"Mom. She's asking me to do all this stuff for her campaign. Like she doesn't understand that I have a job."

Relief edged in.

Not about Miles.

“How did you handle her when she was like this?" he went on, oblivious.

"I did what she wanted." I headed for the door of my building. Jay trailed me, carrying my suitcase.

In the elevator, and I swiveled to face my brother. "My turn. Did Miles hit Kevin back in college?”

As the doors slid closed, Jay realized he was trapped. Even though he had a few inches on me, I had him pinned with my eyes.

“I was worried about you when I got drafted,” Jay said at last. “I asked him to check on you. I didn’t trust Kevin with you, even before the coke."

The elevator reached my floor and dinged.

I lunged into the hall after my brother. “And that warranted Miles beating the crap out of him?”

Jay stopped and turned to face me. “Miles found out about what Kevin did. He wanted to make sure Kevin stayed away. Think he took it a little far.”

My brother’s admission had my insides twisting.

That was why Miles had shown up back in college, why he had taken me for breakfast, why he had acted as though he cared.

“So you told him to watch my back three years ago.”

Jay frowned. "Might have mentioned it a time or two since."

My heart plummeted.

That was what the entire weekend with Miles at the retreat had been about.

Loyalty between teammates. One friend having another’s back.

It had never been about me.

“The team’s been on the road all week, but they come home tonight.” Nova’s voice brings me back.

The thought has crossed my mind. Miles will be in the same city, and we’ll be back in the same circles. He’s almost painfully accessible.

“There’s no reason for me to talk to him,” I tell Nova as I pick at the edges of my manicure. “My brother asked Miles to keep an eye on me. I was a favor for a teammate. Anything that happened between us was fake. Exactly like it was supposed to be.”

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