Justin’s brows drop. A touch of anger flashes in his eyes. “Dude!”
“What? You told me a few weeks ago that you were unsure.”
“I was unsure then, but after how cool she’s been about my work schedule and how supportive she’s been of me and my business the last few weeks, I realized that’s important to me in a partner. And honestly, seeing how you look at her has opened my eyes. You’ve helped me see how great she really is.”
Glad I could be of service.
Justin leans up on one elbow. “I know I’ve been busy and took her for granted, but I plan on making it up to her because I want me andSummer to work out. I really do love her.”
That statement knocks the wind right out of me.
“So even though you have a crush on her”—Justin looks me right in the eyes—“you have to stand down.”
“Stand down?’
“Yeah, for me.”
I guess the finders-keepers rule doesn’t apply here, no matter how much I want it to.
I came to Telluride to strengthen my relationship with Justin, but I hate how it’s all shaking down. At the end of the day, he’s my brother—mytwinbrother—and he’s asking me to walk away. I’m being forced to bow out of this race no matter how much I don’t want to.
“Yeah, of course.” I extend my arm out. “I can stand down.”
“Thanks.” He takes my hand, shaking it. “You’re a good brother.”
But is being a good brother enough if I don’t have Summer?
thirty-four
SUMMER
I glancethrough the peephole in the door of my apartment.
It’s Justin—apparently, he and Caleb didn’t kill each other. Things looked pretty dicey when I left them wrestling on the floor an hour ago.
I draw in a steadying breath, uneasy about how this is going to go down.
I’m a cheater.
I cheat.
I knew this about myself from my ninth-grade biology class when I had to look at Corey Gillis’s answers to pass the final, but I didn’t know it would bleed into my love life as an adult.
Justin knocks again. “Summer, I know you’re in there. I saw your eye in the peephole.”
That’s embarrassing and enough to cause me to pull the door open.
Justin dives into my arms, hugging me to him. At first, I’m taken aback. I expected ahow-dare-youspeech or even athis-isn’t-workingintro, leading him into a breakup speech. But a hug? I never saw that coming. I wrap my arms around him, and he sighs—sighs—as if he’s never been more content in his entire life, which seems crazy because I’ve never been less content.
“Can you forgive me?” he finally says.
My brows hover somewhere between confusion, and did I hear him right?
“Forgive you?” I pull back so I can see his face. “I’m the one that needs forgiveness.”
“No.” Justin shakes his head, stepping around me so he’s all the way inside my apartment. He faces me just as I close the door. “I forced you into this silly swap with Caleb. It’s all my fault.”
“It’s not all your fault. I agreed to it and let things go too far. I never should’ve—”
