Page 34 of Fierce Secrets

Before he could respond, a knock at the door made us both tense.

"Mer?" Grayson's voice carried through the wood. "You okay? I heard?—"

The door opened before either of us could react. My brother stood frozen in the doorway, taking in the scene before him – me in nothing but a robe, clearly disheveled, wrapped in his best friend's arms.

The look that crossed his face wasn't just suspicion.

It was recognition of his worst fear coming true.

Fuck.

"What the hell is going on here?" Grayson's voice was deadly quiet, and my heart tightened, fear snaking through me at the look in his eyes, his gaze now focused solely on Leo.

He was not happy. Not at all.

"I had a nightmare," I said quickly, but even to my own ears the excuse sounded weak. "Leo was just?—"

"A nightmare?" Gray's eyes narrowed. "Really?"

"Gray, it's fine?—"

"Fine?" He barked out a harsh laugh. "Is that what you're going with? Nothing happened here? You really expect me to believe you just had a nightmare and Leo, what, decided to comfort you while you're wearing a robe with shower-wet hair?"

I fell silent, the excuse dying on my lips. How could I deny what was so obviously written all over us? The way Leo held me, protective even now. The intimacy that lingered in the air between us. Sure, maybe if Leo hadn't been holding me the way he was, but I couldn't hide my guilt. I'd never been a good actress, it was one of my flaws. I couldn't lie to save myself, I was a terrible liar.

Leo released me, and I moved carefully to sit on the edge of the bed, making sure my robe remained around me while Leo stood.

"There's no point lying about it," Leo said, his voice steady despite the tension radiating from him as Gray stepped into the room. "Something happened, Gray."

Gray moved to stand before him, holding his gaze steady as my heart hammered.

What was he going to?—

The crack of Grayson's fist connecting with Leo's nose echoed through the room. "Figlio di puttana!"

"Gray!" I launched to my feet, but he was already taking a step back, his fist at his side.

I looked to Leo, my stomach knotting. Blood trickled down his face as he straightened, but he made no move to retaliate. He simply wiped the blood with the back of his hand, his expression resigned.

"Maybe I should go," he said quietly. "Give you two space to talk."

"Really?" Grayson's laugh was bitter. "You're just going to walk out on the mess you just made? This can't be anything, Leo. It can't."

"Why not?" I demanded, finding my voice again as I snapped my gaze to him. "Because he's your best friend and I'm your sister?"

Why was that always an issue? Was it because if anything happened and we broke up, he'd be torn on loyalties?

Why was I even thinking we could be together?

Grayson's glare could have frozen hell itself as he looked at Leo. "It's more than that." He ran a hand through his hair before he shook his head, frustration evident in every movement. "Why? Why would you do this?" He looked so torn, so confused, all sorts of emotions flashing in his eyes.

Leo stood there, blood still dripping from his nose, looking more lost than I'd ever seen him. His silence felt like a knife in my chest. Was he regretting it? Regretting me?

The way he wouldn't meet my eyes made my stomach drop. Everything we'd shared – the passion, the tenderness, the way he'd held me like I was precious – had it meant nothing?

"I want to go," I whispered, needing to escape the suffocating tension.

As I moved toward the door, Leo finally looked at me, and the conflict in his eyes made my heart ache.

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