Page 50 of Get Undressed With Me

Brittany knew she was gaping but didn’t care.

“We’re closed,” a hard voice rang out from somewhere in the back.

“It’s me, Liam.”

A head poked out from around a shelf, an older Black gentleman with glasses and a disgruntled expression that could rival one of Gus’s.

“What are you doing here?”

Gus didn’t even blink at the rude question.

“I brought a friend who wants to shop.”

“Do you like her?”

“Yes.”

“Do you trust her?”

“Yes.”

“Then look around. But don’t let anyone else in. This Kickoff crowd is too rowdy.”

The head disappeared, leaving Brittany staring at Gus, who quirked an eyebrow at her.

“What?”

“How exactly do you know him?”

“He had some trouble last year with an arsonist. I helped him out with the police reports and did some investigating for him. We managed to catch the guy, and now he has to put up with me.”

Brittany thought about how that was just like Gus, to help someone just because he thought they needed it. She turned to a shelf of silks to sort through them, feeling their texture and weight as she thought about everything Gus had said since they walked in there.

“So… you trust me?”

He was looking at his phone, not making eye contact.

“Of course I do.”

“I broke into your brother’s apartment and destroyed his stuff.”

Brittany didn’t know why she was bringing it up. She liked Gus and was secretly glad to hear he trusted her. But when she looked back at her recent behavior, she had to admit that if their positions were reversed, she wouldn’t have said the same thing.

Gus looked up at her question, surprise in his eyes.

“Killer, you have a temper, but you tend to only get sparked when there’s a legitimate reason.”

“Oh.” She stared at the fabric in front of her, not seeing any of it as she replayed that night in her head. And she had to ask.

“You said… you didn’t act like it in the moment. What changed?”

He had the good grace to wince.

“I didn’t react well and said things I shouldn’t have. When I calmed down and thought about it, I realized something must have really set you off. But I didn’t know what it was until last night with Robbie.”

“You didn’t know about the other women?” Brittany realized this was part of what was bothering her, the idea that Gus had known about Robbie’s cheating this whole time and had never said anything. Somehow that betrayal would’ve hurt more than Robbie’s.

Gus shook his head. “I’m not really on any of the social media, and Robbie never talked about her.”

---