The laughter died. The light in her eyes went cold. And I watched her expression shutter, closing me out completely.
Across the room, I could feel her anger like a physical force. Could see the set of her jaw, the tension in her shoulders. Could read the fury and hurt in every line of her body.
She hated me. And I couldn’t even blame her.
Everyone in the room seemed to sense the shift. Conversations faltered. Eyes darted between us. Xander’s gaze sharpened with interest.
“Do you two know each other?” he asked, his voice carefully neutral.
I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. What could I say? We met last night. I almost took her home. I wanted her so badlyI could barely breathe. Then I panicked and treated her like garbage.
“We met briefly,” I finally managed, my voice rough. “Last night. At the bar.”
“Ran into each other.” Her voice was tight, controlled, barely masking the anger underneath. “Small world apparently.”
The tension was thick enough to choke on. Trace and Booker exchanged glances. Blake’s eyes widened with curiosity. Caroline looked between us with confusion.
Someone, I think it was Trace, said, “Dex, this is Leigh. Leigh, Dex. He’s been part of our family since we were kids.”
“Practically another brother,” Gage added, smiling, not knowing what it was he was saying.
Brother.
The word landed like a bomb.
I saw Leigh’s face pale slightly, saw her fingers tighten around the water glass she was holding. She understood now. Understood exactly what I was to them. Why I’d panicked.
“Nice to officially meet you,” she said, her voice cold enough to freeze.
I nodded, not trusting my voice.
And then I had to stand there, on the periphery of the room, while they welcomed her. While Trace and Delaney made her feel included, while Booker asked thoughtful questions, while Xander charmed her with his easy manner, while Gage shared stories about being the outsider who’d come home.
I watched her relax by degrees. Watched her smile become real instead of forced. Watched her find her place among them like she’d always belonged there.
And every time she laughed, every time her face lit up, I felt the knife twist deeper.
Because I’d had that. For a few perfect hours, I’d had her attention, her smiles, her trust.
And I’d thrown it away.
Xander drifted over to stand beside me, his eyes on Leigh as she talked with Blake about photography.
“You want to tell me what’s really going on?” he asked quietly.
“Nothing’s going on.”
“Dex.” He turned to face me fully. “I’ve known you for over twenty years. Don’t bullshit me.”
I couldn’t meet his eyes. “Just drop it, Xan.”
“Does this have something to do with why you’ve been pulling away the last few months?”
Everything in me wanted to tell him. To spill it all and let someone else carry the weight for a moment. But I couldn’t. It was all too shameful to admit.
“I’m fine,” I said. “Just going through some stuff. It’s not about any of you.”
“Isn’t it, though?” His voice was gentle but probing. “You’ve been different since Gage got engaged. Quieter. More distant. And now there’s this thing with Leigh…”
