Page 93 of Stuck with my Brother's Firefighter Besties

But as much as I wanted to barge into the room and tell themno way in hell,a tiny part of me hesitated.

Maybe they were right.

Maybe I couldn’t handle this alone.

My fingers trembled as I clutched the edge of the doorframe, torn between staying hidden and stepping forward.

“I mean, he’s her brother,” Ryan said, his tone deliberate. “And if this escalates, he’s going to find out eventually. Better it comes from us than from someone else.”

Escalates.

The word echoed in my head, sharp and unforgiving.

Was that where this was heading? Was this going to spiral even further out of control?

I swallowed hard, trying to steady my breathing. I didn’t want to involve Nate, but if things got worse…

Before I could finish the thought, my phone buzzed in my pocket, the vibration startling me. I fumbled to pull it out, my heart racing as I saw Nate’s name on the screen.

Oh no.

I hesitated for a second, then answered, my voice shaky. “Hey, Nate.”

“Lila,” he said, his tone urgent. “Where are you?”

“I’m… at The Brewed Beaned Café,” I lied, glancing toward the living room where the guys were still talking. “Why?”

“There’s some guy at Dad’s house,” Nate said, his words tumbling out in a rush. “He’s asking for you.”

My stomach dropped.

“What?” I whispered, clutching the phone tighter.

“He showed up a few minutes ago,” Nate continued. “Said he needed to talk to you. He wouldn’t give me his name, but…”

He trailed off, and I could practically hear the tension in his voice.

“But what?” I pressed, my voice rising.

“He seems… off,” Nate said. “Shifty. Like he doesn’t belong here.”

My blood ran cold.

It was him. It had to be.

Rick.

I barely heard the rest of what Nate said. My pulse was pounding in my ears, my hands trembling as panic surged through me.

“Lila?” Nate’s voice snapped me back to reality.

“I… I’ll be right there,” I said quickly, hanging up before he could say anything else.

I turned, nearly stumbling as I rushed into the living room.

The guys all looked up at me, their expressions shifting from surprise to concern the moment they saw my face.

“What’s wrong?” Ryan asked, already on his feet.

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