Page 82 of Dirty Player

Kaylee moves to the side and meets Knox’s stare. “Actually, I went on two or three dates with him and the media made it sound like it was a much bigger thing. We never even banged.”

Oh.

Probably not the right moment, but I’m doing a little dance on the inside.

“Knox,” Payton hisses. “Let’s go.”

I turn to face my big brother and see Atlas behind him. At least Dad stayed away.

“If Levi says he loves you, then he does. And his heart is bigger than all of ours put together,” Knox says, and I swallow audibly.

“Hurt him again and we won’t forgive you,” Atlas says.

“Guys.” I close my eyes and shake my head. “She’s five foot three and one hundred and twenty-five pounds. Not a damn gorilla. Please.”

Being the baby of the family never changes. They will always see me as their little brother.

“I never tried to hurt him. Colby kissed me.” Kaylee says, and her eyes land on me.

That’s the first time I’ve heard that.

She’s never said it before.

Except, I guess, in the messages I never listened to. God, I’m a fucking idiot. How much time have I wasted? And could I have forgiven the situation back then?

I don’t know.

“If my wife believes you, then you have my attention. One chance,” Knox says.

“Knock it off,” Payton says, and I hear her slap him. “Come inside and let them sort it out. They’re adults.”

I smile down at Kaylee, but she’s not returning it.

When there’s only silence and I’m sure they’ve gone, I cup her face again.

“I’m sorry.”

“If you truly loved me, Levi, you wouldn’t have cared what your brothers thought.” She shakes her head gently.

That’s not true.

“The two things can, and did, coexist, Kaylee. I’ve never been in love before. Seeing you and Colby together ripped my heart out.”

“I know,” she says sadly. “Buthekissed me. I couldn’t stop him. You know how big he is. I wanted to explain.”

Colby pushed himself on Kaylee?

The fuck?

“You never gave him permission to kiss you?”

She shakes her head.

“So, why did you date him?” I frown.

She lets out a sigh. “Another bad decision. He’d offered me a signed cap for Dad—how he got me into the hall to start—then wanted to apologize and meet for lunch to give me the cap.”

Jesus.

---