Page 92 of Winning Brynn

She mumbles something unintelligible, her eyes already closed. My chest twinges with something I've never experienced before. A heart attack, quite possibly, considering my BPM must be through the roof right now. But even as I go about the afternoon with my daughter, the weird feeling in my heart continues to glow.

A better man might acknowledge it for what it is.

But I am a short-sighted, ignorant idiot. So I don’t.

Text thread between Brynn and Isabella

Isabella:Landed! See you in a couple of hours.

Brynn:Perfect. Be safe.

Isabella:How excited are you to see me?

Brynn:Extremely.

Brynn:Just so you know, Alex doesn't know about Leo and me yet, so please don't mention it around him if we see him.

Isabella:My lips are sealed. But who’s Alex?

Brynn:My brother.

Isabella:Thought your brother's name was Adam?

Brynn:Nope, it's always been Alex.

Isabella:Wait, so he’s THE Alex Wolfe? The crazy-famous soccer player? How did I not know this?

Brynn:Dude, I told you he was an athlete. I thought you knew who he was.

Isabella:I must have misheard you.

Isabella:Wait. So the guy you're sleeping with is Leo Sullivan? And you're nannying for his daughter?

Brynn:Yeah. Is everything alright?

Isabella is typing…

Isabella is offline.

Brynn:You still there?

Brynn:Issy?

Chapter Thirty

Brynn

"We need to tellhim." Leo paces the length of the kitchen, still dressed in workout clothes from practice, sweat staining his gray tee like paint splatter. "I could barely look him in the eye at practice today. I couldn't even bring myself to shower at the training ground. I just grabbed my shit and hightailed it out of there."

I assumed so, given the incredibly strong smell that has permeated the apartment since he arrived home ten minutes ago. Thankfully for both of us—as disgusting as it might be—I quite like the smell of his sweat.

"Hey, it's okay." I push off the couch and join him in the kitchen, wrapping my arms around him from behind and resting my cheek on his back. "We can tell him this weekend after Issy has left."

Though, truthfully, I don’t know what we’ll actually be telling Alex. We haven’t exactly defined what is going on between us. We’re not in a relationship. There has been no conversation of commitment, we’ve never discussed what will happen after Leo no longer needs me to look after Salem, or even when that will be. And I hardly think my brother would enjoy hearing about the numerous positions his best friend has managed to twist me into since we started sleeping together.

But I’m not about to ask Leo his thoughts on the above. That would be a far too level-headed and mature thing to do, and I am frankly not capable of it. Blame it on my upbringing, but I’m not about to put myself in a position to be rejected.

He sighs, his hands softly covering mine on his chest. "Fuck, I forgot she was coming."

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