Page 23 of Two Minutes for Holding

This was one thing I loved about my brothers, especially Knox, and why I was feeling so shitty about sleeping with his sister. He’d kept my horrific family secret quiet as if it were his own, just as asked, and here I was keeping something huge from him. It made me feel worse at this moment than I’d ever felt.

“Yeah, but I’ve never even heard about it from Phil, or on the news,” Lorelai added.

“I just told you.” Knox chuckled, pulling her in closer.

“No, you wouldn’t of, it was something I didn’t want broadcast to the entire world. So, when it happened, I paid a lot of money to have it kept quiet. The media are a bunch of sharks,but between lawyers and cash, they retreated into the woodwork as quickly as they appeared.”

“Oh, Clay, I’m so sorry,” Reese said, bringing her hand to her heart. “Always know you are welcome here.”

“Oh, I know that. My brothers never turn me away. I just hate intruding on them, especially now that they have settled down with their women.” I chuckled.

“Tell him it’s fine to intrude,” Lorelai said, smacking Knox in the abs. “He’s welcome here at any time,” she said, smacking Knox again.

“Fuck, just intrude, okay?” He chuckled, wrapping his arms around her so she couldn’t hit him again, and pressed a kiss to her cheek.

“Seriously, Clay, he is serious,” Reese said, giving me a gentle smile.

“I know, and I’ll take him up on the offer before Lorelai bruises the crap out of him.”

The four of us laughed, and soon the conversation turned to the wedding and the invitation choices. They’d narrowed the choices down while we all sat drinking our coffee. I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket and I quickly pulled it out to see who had messaged me.

I glanced at my screen and saw Peyton’s name. I swallowed hard. Reese had just mentioned she was thinking of moving to Vancouver and wondered if they’d take her to see a place close to the arena. Knox and Lorelai were both focused on the conversation.

“Excuse me for a moment,” I muttered.

“Sure thing. Everything okay?” Knox asked.

“Yep, fine,” I said, taking off toward the washroom.

Once there, I re-read her messages.

Peyton: I don’t want to bother you…

Peyton: Oh, I hope you are there…

Peyton: Shit, maybe I shouldn’t have messaged you might be with my brother…

Peyton: I really need…

What the hell was going on with her? I wondered. I read her messages again and then responded.

Clay: What’s wrong?

I stared at my phone, waiting to see if she was there. There was nothing, and as the seconds ticked by, it felt like forever.

“Fuck it,” I muttered. I dialed her number and waited as it rang. “Are you okay?” I whispered into the phone when I heard her answer.

She sniffled. “Not really.” She cried.

“What is going on?”

I could hear her sobbing.

“I’m fucked. Knox is going to kill me,” she cried. “Remember how you said I’m like family and I could come to you with anything?”

Yep, I’d said those words long before we’d slept together, but again after as well. I swallowed hard, not knowing where this conversation would go, wondering if maybe this was something her brother should be hearing.

Not wanting to go back on my word, I nodded. “Yes, what’s wrong?” I asked quietly.

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