Page 21 of Brazen Deceits

Because I’m an idiot. And I don’t want Trips to be right.

I want her here, with me. I’ll happily ignore the eventuality of my own shattered heart just to keep her close. Legally bound to her forever, even if she’s with one of the other guys? It’d be torture, but at least I’d get to see her, talk to her, laugh with her.

Glaring at Trips, I wonder what he’s up to. He took that bet, so why is he inviting her to a strategy meeting? Is he hoping she’ll freak out and run? God, she should freak out and run. That would be the smart move. She’d be safer and happier away from us. From me.

She pulls her hands inside her sleeves, her knuckles creating shadowed ridges in the fabric. “Um, yeah. I have an afternoon shift. I’ll be off at 4:30.” Her big brown eyes are shades of confusion, but her whole posture changes when she’s included.

Damn it. Why didn’t I send her the brief? I’ll do it right after the meeting. She doesn’t like being excluded any more than I do. I know that.

Trips stands up. “Then we’ll have a dinner meeting at six. I want ideas and issues. We need all the parameters so we can make a good plan. Walker, send her the details.” He leaves, stomping upstairs, the door to his room slamming behind him.

Damn it. Even Trips noticed that I didn’t send Clara the brief. And there’s no way he didn’t note the way she straightened when he took her schedule into account. FuckingTripsis taking better care of our girl than I am.

Even when she withdrew after that clusterfuck with her ex, even when she ignored all the rest of us, she still let Trips cart her around, let him bring her to class.

She still let him in, the lucky bastard.

Turning to Jansen, her feet slide off my lap. “Does that mean I’m invited?”

“Of course,” he says, pulling her closer.

What would I give for his faith, for the way he can make her glow.

What could I possibly offer her that he can’t? Meatloaf? A forged Degas? She doesn’t even have a fake ID, but I didn’t notice. I never asked.

I need to get out of here. Because the longer I stay, the more I’m going to fuck this up. “I’ll forward you the details,” I say, forcing myself out of the room, first one step, then the next.

Leaving her in Jansen’s arms, RJ looking on.

This is good. This is what she wanted.

She deserves the best.

Even if the best isn’t me.

Chapter 11

Clara

There goes my “talk to Walker” plan.

He’s gone before I can think of a reason to call him back. I mean, besides, “Hey, you look like you’re stuck in the rain and there’s a hole in your umbrella. Is it because I’m a shitty lay?” Yeah. That’s peak awkward.

That opportunity missed, I focus on RJ fiddling with his tablet. Maybe I can fix one thing this morning. I extended my olive branch to Walker and Jansen. It’s time to do the same with RJ.

It’s not like he and I are going to fall into bed today—because really, I’ve probably done enough of that in the past few hours to scandalize polite society—but I miss him, and I want to spend time with him. I need to open the door and see if he still wants to walk through it with me.

Planting a kiss on Jansen’s cheek, I push myself upright in the middle of the couch. “Say, RJ, are you headed back to bed?”

He looks up, blinking a few times. “I thought I was, but now I’m awake. Why?”

“Um, would you like to go for a run with me?”

He nods slowly. “Sure. Now?”

“How about in half an hour?”

RJ stands up, his tablet tucked under his arm. “Sounds good.”

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