Page 79 of One Time in Paris
Mason hesitated, looking from one to the other.
“Tell me,” Quinn demanded with all the authority of an older brother.
“Don’t you dare?—”
“They got drunk and married in Vegas,” Mason spilled.
Aiden’s stomach bottomed out.
The thunk of a gavel. The whisper of an executioner’s sword.
He barely heard Quinn’s curse over the ringing in his ears.
And there it was.His death sentence.
Quinn paled, staring at Aiden with such shock that Aiden could practically see the wheels of his mind turning. Quinn’s hand clenched into fists at his sides. “You irredeemable bastard,” Quinn growled.
Why did everyone seem to think this was somehowhisfault? As though Isla was some sweet, innocent young maiden who had been taken advantage of by a hungry wolf?
“Thank you, Mason,” Aiden breathed, throwing the full weight of his glare onto his younger brother. “We’re in the process of getting an annulment.”
Quinn drew a slow, measured breath, then took one step closer to Aiden. “Tell me the truth, for once and for all. Are you and Isla involved in some sort of intimate relationship?”
Were they?Notexactly, but he also had every intention of being in one. He couldn’t back away from her yet again. Not after last night. Not after he’d promised he’d do it her way.
Not when he was trying to earn the right to be with her. Prove how much he wanted her.
“I don’t think that’s any of your bus?—”
“Yes or no, Aiden?”
Aiden felt a deep, unbearable weight settle on his chest. “Yes,” he said, at last.
“And does Callum know about this relationship? Or have you lied to him and concealed it?”
His throat burned. “Callum doesn’t know. And I have lied some.”
“Then get out.” Quinn pointed toward the door.
What?
“You’re kicking me out of your house?” Aiden’s brow furrowed.
“Yes. You’re my brother. And that’s theonlyreason I haven’t punched you in the face. The only reason I haven’t already called Callum and told him what’s going on. He’s been my best friend all my life.”
“He’s my friend, too, Quinn.”
“Yes, then you should remember how another former friend destroyed him, Aiden. How Callum took you into his trust—one that he doesn’t hand out lightly. You have put me in an impossible situation, in my own house, under my own roof. I can’t control what you do, but I can control where you do it. Get out.”
Even Mason seemed surprised by the forcefulness of Quinn’s reaction, and he stepped back hesitantly.
“Right. Because I’m the villain here, aren’t I?” Aiden shot Quinn a scathing look. “Always the villain. Oh, it’s fine to let mebethe villain when it’s convenient. Or to let me suffer the weight of burdens that you don’t want to bear. Then you can slip away and have your fairy tale with your nonprofit and your perfect wife and beautiful baby while I’m stuck slaving away at the job you didn’t want.”
“No one forced you into that job,” Quinn said. “You just refuse to accept responsibility for the decisions you make that come back and bite you in the arse, rather than just admit that maybe you had no idea what you were doing. Or that you took too much upon yourself.”
“Youforced me into it.” Aiden’s tone was biting and loud. “You were constantly complaining that I never did enough. That I was forcing you to do too much. That I wasenjoyingmy life too much while you were dealing with Mum and Dad and being too afraid to tell Elle,for years, that you loved her. Well, I’m not you, Quinn. When my brothers need my help, I do step up. And when I see a woman I want, I don’t take years to decide whether she means enough to me to actually do something about it.”
Quinn’s fist was in his face before he could duck.
