Page 24 of Begin Again

I should have known missing the family check-in was going to come back to bite me, but I didn’t think Orion wouldfly outover it. I mean, sure, I usually text back when I miss a call, but I gotdistracted.And fine, maybe I shouldn’t have ignored the string of messages after, but I was caught up in the moment, wrapped up in the rush of my last-minute date last week, and I just—forgot.

I meant to text him back but we had been drinking. Now that I think about it, I’m not sure if saying ‘we’ is correct. I don’t remember if he finished his glass of wine, but I know I had at least two glasses. Besides, wine makes me sleepy, so when I got home I never ended up texting him back.

Groaning I grip the steering wheel tighter as I weave through the quiet streets, my SUV barely stopping at the signs.

Orion doesn’t do anything impulsive. If he came all the way out here, that means he’s been stewing over this since I missed his call… And accidentally ignored his texts. If he’s at my house now, it’s not just because he’s worried—it’s because he’spissed.

Blowing out a breath I press harder on the gas.

Less than five minutes later, I take the last turn onto my street to see my house. It sits on the edge of town, tucked away into the shadows of the towering pines and rugged cliffs that surround Shadow Grove. This is so similar to the place I dreamed about in the times I needed peace—small, quaint, picturesque. The sage green siding against the white trim on my cottage makes it look like it belongs on the cover of a lifestyle magazine, especially after I strategically placed the Adirondack chairs along the wrap-around porch near the front door to catch the beautiful sunrise.

But out of all the emotions I can be experiencing right now peace is not one of them. As a matter of fact, it’s the opposite of that.

My heart slams against my ribs when I spot the dark SUV parked in my driveway. Just another confirmation that Orion’s here and this wasn’t some sort of twisted joke.

Shit.

I barely throw the car into park before I jump out and jog up the steps. The front door swings open before I even reach for the handle, and there he is—my little brother—all six foot four of him. He towers over me, his giant frame filling the entire doorway with his arms crossed. Orion’s broad shoulders strain against his perfectly tailored jacket, and even in the shade of the trees, I can see the sharp cut of his jawline—partially hidden beneath the ever-present stubble that makes him look both effortlessly rugged and annoyingly put-together at the same time.

His hazel eyes—piercing, always calculating—rake over me like he’s assessing me for injuries, always the mother hen. At least to those closest to him. Orion is a person who walks into a room and immediately sizes everyone up like he’s filing them away into categories: threat, civilian, and potential headache. Right now? I think I fall into the last one. His face is both disapproving and unreadable at the same time, his arms crossed over his chest like he’s already planning my funeral.

I would say I regret giving him a spare key, but he’s the one that taught me how to pick locks, so really, I’d be in this position no matter what.

He looks exactly the same as the last time I saw him—neatly dressed, hair trimmed to precision, exuding that same quiet authority that makes people sit up straighter when he walks into a room. He’s always been the more serious one, the responsible one, theprotector.And right now?

He looks like he’s about two seconds away from tearing me a new one.

My stomach twists, heat creeping up my neck. I knew this was coming, I knew it the second I answered his call and he said he was at my house. But knowing doesn’t make it any easier.

I hold up my hands before he can start. “Before you sayanything—”

“No, I’m not saying anything, you are the one that needs to start talking.” His voice is clipped, his jaw tight. “You missed the check-in, disappeared for days, ignored my messages, and then you picked up the phone today like it’s nothing?” He steps aside and jerks his head toward the inside of the house. “Inside. Now.”

I groan but step past him, my stomach twisting as he slams the door shut behind me. The air inside suddenly feels heavier, charged, like a storm waiting to break. I barely set my bag down before he rounds on me. Where is Valkyrie when I need her?

“What the hell is going on, Selene?”

His voice is calmer now, but I know better. This is just the first wave. He’s waiting for me to slip, to say the wrong thing that will solidify his belief that my moving was a mistake so he can whisk me back to DC.

I drag a hand through my hair, trying to tamp down my frustration. “Everything is fine, Orion.”

His eyes narrow. “Really? Because if I remember correctly part of you moving out here, far away from everyone was the promise that you would keep in contact so we would know you didn’t fall off the face of the earth or worse.”

Guilt twists in my chest, but I shove it down. I let out a slow breath, trying to find the right words before he spirals further. “I got caught up in something last-minute, that’s all. I meant to text you beforehand but I lost track of time. I wasfine.Iamfine.”

Orion doesn’t even blink. “It’s been almost a week, Selene. You don’t justforgetthat long to check in.”

I press my lips together, irritation flaring hot. “But I did! You don’t have to make such a big deal about it.”

His expression doesn’t change, but the weight of his silence is suffocating.

I sigh, lowering my voice. “Look, I was on a date, okay? It was last minute and I got really excited and lost track of what day it was. I wasn’t thinking about my phone, I was just—enjoying myself.” Which I now realize is a foreign concept to my overly serious, and way overly protective, brother. “By the time you called, we were already at his place and my phone was in my purse. I saw I missed the call when I got home. We had been drinking, and by the time I read all your texts I remembered what day it was I planned to text you but I ended up falling asleep and forgetting about it.”

His expression barely shifts, but I know him well enough to see the flicker of emotion behind his eyes. “You missed the call because of adate?” His tone is deceptively calm, but I can already see the judgment forming.

Here we go.

I cross my arms. “Yes. A date. You remember what those are, right?”

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