Page 52 of My Ex's Brothers

“I can only be a hero, Dane, if she’s a damsel in distress, and as you clearly reminded us all, she’s not.” He grins. “So untwist those panties, Dane. You had plenty of chances to make your move and ask her. But you didn’t. I just did what you were too afraid to do.”

I flip him off. “And that’s why I’m picking her up.”

“Fine. But that’s not going to change anything,” he says with a shrug.

Maybe not, but I need to be near her right now. I need to know how she feels about this. How she feels abouthim.About this whole situation…

And maybe I need to know how she feels about me, but I can’t think about such things right now.

Not when she and Lyla are the most important thing. No, I need to make sure this…this is what she wants, and my brother wasn’t being an overbearing asshole commanding her to listen to him.

I shower at the speed of lightning, too keyed up and panicked that if I give Richie any more time he’ll just jump in his car and beat me there.

Thankfully, when I get to the parking lot, I notice the Corvette is still here, and breathe a sigh of relief.

The whole way to Amelia’s, I’m on edge. Richie is right. I am pissed. I’m not pissed he asked her, I’m pissed he took that opportunity from me,knowingI wanted to take things slow and approach Amelia with caution, so she’d feel safe and okay and not bombarded and ordered around.

Forcing her into a situation isn’t actually helping, and I will be damned if we are the cause of her grief and stress. She already has enough of that to go around with what Dex did.

I don’t need a reason for her to shutusout. Shutmeout.

When I get to her apartment, it’s nearing twelve. I know Rich said he’d pick her up at one, but surely an extra hour alone with her, to talk to her…

I let out a heavy sigh as I get out of my car and walk up to her door. Two knocks and she opens the door, her bright blue eyes going wide as she sees me.

“Dane…what?”

There’s a hundred things I want to say to her right now, words stuck in my throat and my brain turning to absolute mush. Because when I look at her, all the anger and annoyance subsides. My shoulders relax, and all I can say is, “I know Rich was supposed to pick you up today, but I thought…”

She leans into my space, in the doorway, her gaze flashing up at me with curiosity.

“You thought you’d come get us instead?” she says the words carefully.

“I thought maybe we could talk first.” I look into her apartment, the familiar chaos beckoning me.

She nods. “Okay.”

When she steps back, she doesn’t tear her gaze from me, and I’m acutely aware of the tension between us. I’ve crossed her threshold before, without thinking twice about it. But now…now it feels like there’s something else between us. Something unsaid, but understood with this one action.

So I take my time and I enter slowly, and once I’m inside, she shuts the door.

One quick glance and I see Lyla in her little jumper, bouncing around, her little eyes going everywhere. When they land on me, I know this is the right thing. For all of us, yes, but for her…

We’re doing this forhertoo.

“So what did you want to talk about, exactly?” Amelia asks as she moves about, picking things up. I don’t think twice about jumping in and helping her.

“You. Moving in with us,” I say carefully. “I wanted…Richie….” I sigh as she folds some clothes from a basket into a pile on the dining room table.

“What?” she asks.

“I wanted to do this differently,” I admit.

She turns to smirk at me. “So, this was your idea.”

“Yes,” I say, because it was, but also because I want her to know that this wasn’t some fly-by-night idea.

A soft smile crosses her lips as she looks up at me.

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