Page 96 of Worth the Chase

“I’ll be right back,” I said before disappearing into the bathroom.

I was hiding. Trying to buy myself some time. From what, I wasn’t sure. I just needed a second. What if Leo and Matthew started fighting?

There was a soft knock on the door.

“Bells? Are you okay? Can I come in?”

“You can come in,” I said.

Matthew opened the door and closed it behind him. He found me sitting on the ground, my head in my hands.

“Hi,” he said as he sat down across from me and stretched out his legs.

“You could have warned me that you’d texted him.”

“I know. I’m sorry. I honestly forgot that I had. It was in the heat of the moment.”

I understood. Matthew had my best interests at heart, and I knew that he was only doing whatever he thought was best.

“Are you mad at me?”

“Of course not. But now we have to tell him we’re together.”

“I always planned on doing that anyway. It’s better that it’s in person.” Matthew grinned.

A part of me wondered if he enjoyed confrontation. He probably did. He was used to being on the ice and getting in all kinds of fights. Even when he had gotten penalties, he would sit in the box with a smile on his face.

Another knock at the door startled me, and I heard Thomas’s voice.

“Can I come in?” he asked, and we both yelled that he could. “Patrick and I got the first load done. We’ll head back to the apartment for the rest. Uh, Leo looks a little agitated out there. Probably doesn’t feel good to be left out, especially when you asked him to be here.” He pointed at Matthew, and Matthew pushed up to stand.

He extended his hands toward me and helped me up before pulling my body against his. “We’d better go talk to him.”

“And we’ll leave you to it. We won’t be long,” Thomas said before turning to exit and then stopped. “You don’t think this will go south, do you? Should we stick around? Leo gonna take a swing or anything?”

Matthew waved him off. “It will be fine. He might be pissed at first, but he’ll get over it.”

“If you say so. We’ll be back,” Thomas said before leaving us alone.

I heard the front door slam, and Matthew and I walked toward my brother in the kitchen.

Leo’s eyes flew to our interlocked hands and narrowed. “What the fuck is this?” His tone was vicious. “Is this why you told me to come home? To tell me you’re messing around with my little sister?”

Matthew dropped my hand and moved me behind him, shielding me. But I stepped around his body and stood at his side.

“That’s not why I texted you,” Matthew responded, taking another step closer to my brother.

“Stop,” Leo ground out, and Matthew halted.

“Why are you being such a jerk?” I asked because this was stupid. He had no right to be angry.

Leo practically spat his response. “Because I told him to stay away from you. And I told you the same thing.”

I actually started laughing. “You’re not the boss of me, and I’m not a little kid anymore.”

He ran a hand down his face, as if this was too much for him to handle. “She’s too good for you.” Leo looked straight at Matthew. “Always has been and always will be.”

Matthew’s fists balled at his sides. I wasn’t sure he even realized that he was doing it or not.

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