She slips out the bedroom door and closes it softly behind her. Leaving me on the other side, hiding like a coward.
I hear Mackenzie's voice, surprised and relieved. “Oh my God, there you are! I was so worried.”
Then Piper's voice, too quiet for me to make out the words.
I press my ear against the door, heart pounding.
This is it. The moment I lose her.
I can’t sit around and wait for my sister to figure out exactly what her best friend has been doing with the brother she hates.
I can’t sit here while everything comes to an end.
7
PIPER
“So I'm at this bar last night, right? Drowning my sorrows because I can't get to you, and this guy sits down next to me." Mackenzie's eyes are sparkling as she leans against the kitchen counter. "Tall, hot, the whole package. We start talking and turns out he's a park ranger. And not just any park ranger, but one who works onthismountain. Can you believe the luck?”
I'm standing across from her, trying to act normal. Trying to ignore that five minutes ago I was naked in her brother’s arms.
“That's... great, Kenz.”
She doesn't notice, too caught up in her story. “And Piper, the man knows what he's doing. We were up all night…” She stops mid-sentence, her eyes narrowing. “Wait. Is that a bruise on your neck?”
My hand flies up to cover it. The spot where Callum's mouth was yesterday.
“I fell,” I blurt out. “Outside. It's from that.”
“Ouch!” She winces sympathetically. “Are you okay? That looks nasty.”
“I'm fine. Really.”
Her expression shifts to concern. “Why didn't you call me? Or answer any of my calls?”
“No reception. The storm must have knocked out the cell tower.”
Mackenzie pulls out her phone, frowning at the screen. “Oh my God, you're right. It was working fine at the base of the mountain but nothing up here.” She looks up at me. “That's why my calls weren't going through. I thought you were ignoring me!”
I don’t tell her I was too busy kissing her brother. Having sex with her brother. Falling for her brother.
I'm a terrible person.
And I really need to come clean.
“Kenz, I have something else to tell you.” I take a breath, steadying myself. “When I fell outside... I was unconscious for a while. I hit my head pretty bad.”
“Oh my God! Should we get you to a hospital? I can call the hot park ranger.”
“I'm fine. But…” I pause, watching her face. “Your brother rescued me.”
She blinks. “My brother? What the hell are you talking about?”
“He's here.”
“Here? What do you mean here?”
“In the cabin. He's been staying here.” I watch her face change—confusion to disbelief to anger. “Please don't freak out.”
