Page 71 of Ugly Truths
“Likewise,” she replies, her tone laced with playful curiosity. “You don’t exactly scream ‘club regular.’”
“I’m not,” I admit, nodding behind me. “Jeremy’s idea.”
“Ah,” she says knowingly, her eyes flicking toward the booths. “Forever the responsible older brother.”
“Hopefully, not for long. I think I’m going to hire out the job soon,” I quip. Her laugh comes easily, just as her free hand rests on my bicep. She leans in, fingers tensing on my shirt sleeve.
“You always take on more than you should,” she replies with a dazzling smile. “It’s one of the things I like about you.”
The compliment settles uncomfortably over me, but not as much as her touch. I turn back toward the bar, and her hand falls away. “Alice,” I start, “I owe you an apology for not calling after our last date.”
I was so disoriented from the whole argument at Natalie’s that I dropped her off at her home without much explanation.
“I figured you had your reasons.” There’s a pause. “Did everything work out with… whatever that was?”
“It did.” I glance at the bartender, who’s preparing my drinks alongside several others. “I think it’s only fair to let you know I won’t be calling in the future.”
Alice’s smile falters before she nods slowly. “It’s her, isn’t it?” she asks. “The pretty brunette at your sister’s house?”
“Yes.” The word is out before I even think about it.
Elena and I agreed to take this one day at a time, to figure out what we could be if I didn’t let my anger dictate everything. And in the process, I’ve started getting to know her the same way she seems to already know me. Scarlett was intelligent, stubborn, independent, and impossible not to want, but I barely scratched the surface. Elena is all of those things, but amplified. Every time I think I’ve figured her out, she proves me wrong, and what surprises me most is how much I want her to.
But wanting her and trusting her aren’t always the same thing. There are some days when I can’t let go of everything she’s done and I force space between us to quiet the voices screaming in my head to end this before the same thing happens again. I see how much that affects her, and I hate it. It’s the reason I haven’t made any definitive decisions about us. Yet my answer comes too fast, like claiming her is instinct.
The realization unsettles me.
Alice exhales, a wistful smile tugging at the corners of her lips. “I thought so.”
Her candor catches me off guard. “That obvious?” I ask, my voice softer than I intended.
“Yes,” she says with a faint laugh. “Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me. I just hope she’s worth all the trouble.”
The idea of anyone dismissing Elena without knowing her stirs something defensive in me. “She is.” Another contradiction I should probably unpack.
Alice nods again, her shoulders relaxing. “Then I’m happy for you, Silas,” she says and raises her glass. “Thanks for being honest. It’s more than most would do.”
“Thank you,” I echo, meaning it. She takes a sip of her near-empty drink just as the bartender places three glasses on the counter in front of me. I hand him several bills and decline the change.
“I need to get back to my friends before they wonder if I’ve been kidnapped,” Alice jokes. “See you around?”
“See you,” I reply, offering a small smile before collecting my drinks and heading up the stairs without looking back.
When I return to the table, Davey is alone. I don’t bother asking where Jeremy went. Instead, I slide one of the glasses of Macallan toward my brother-in-law and down the other as I sink back into the booth. The burn hits hard and sharp in my throat before flaring to my nose. I suck in a breath through my teeth, waiting for the sting to settle.
Now, what the hell do I do about my dad and brother?
Chapter 29
Elena
Awildfire blazes through my veins as I approach Silas’s office. The door, now seemingly never locked, slams against the wall as I storm inside. Silas’s head snaps up from his laptop. My chest heaves. There’s a beat of silence. Someone clears their throat on the other end of his video call.
I don’t care.
Not that I left Jeff and Natalie in the basement, startled when I abruptly ended my session fifteen minutes early. Not that Silas could be speaking with someone extremely important. Nothing matters except the headline that popped up on my home screen when I took a water break.
Wells Heir Spotted Again with Jewelry Mogul Alice Lancaster
