It was magnificent to watch my brother physically react to my words. He changedcolour, for the love of Gingie! His cheeks darkened and so did his eyes, his fists clenching.
“What the fuck did you just say?” His words scraped from his throat, and I nodded vigorously.
“Yeah, he’s British. Look, this is them visiting Rhodes Town. It’s beautiful, all cobbled streets and—” I turned my phone to show him a photo of my gorgeous best friend, smiling for a selfie she’d sent only to me, with a ridiculously hot silver fox. The caption?
Best day ever!
Victor snatched my phone clean from my hand, nearly toppling the table over as he did so.
“Jeez, bro.” I rolled my eyes, but I sat back and drank in his jealousy, storing every part of it for my best friend.
The way his breathing increased, his pupils dilating as he stared at the photo. The way his large hands clenched the phone so tight I thought he might snap it in two—worth it though—and how he swore beneath his breath.
“Who the fuck is he? What is she doing?” His words were both broken and raw, and I simply shrugged.
“Well, I think he’s also staying in her hotel. They went for dinner a few times?—”
Victor threw my phone on the table, his eyes boring into me. “This isn’t fucking funny, Vanessa.”
“I’m not laughing.” I held his furious gaze before I continued. “Then she wasn’t well, some stomach bug?—”
“What? Is she okay?” This was a different tone entirely—coated in panic and sheer anxiety.
Even I couldn’t do that to him.
“Yes, she’s fine. This guy speaks Greek, so he got her to see a good doctor. She’s fine, as I said, just a stomach bug. Yeah, so that’s all I know. I just thoughtyou’dwant to know.”
Victor's chest rose and fell so fast Ialmostregretted it. I didn’t want him to have a heart attack.
But he’d done this, so fuck him.
“So, she’s okay?” Victor sank into a chair, his shoulders sagging. “Good.”
I frowned. Did he not hear me say the hottie spoke Greek? And looked after her? I was secretly hoping Lila flew him home as her new husband, but she wouldn’t do that.
She wasn’t me. I’d do it just to be fucking petty.
“Anyway.” I picked up my phone and saw tears in my brother's eyes. I paused, not wanting to reassure him, but still… something hurt seeing him like that.
Even though I was mad at him for fucking everything up, he was still my brother. I spied the construction clothes hanging over the chair.
“You got another job then?” I nodded to the clothes.
Victor looked up, his gaze following mine. “Yeah.”
I turned to go, but something stopped me. I had to ask, because now he’d tell me. Wouldn’t he?
“Are you still seeing that tramp?” I stared into eyes that mirrored mine, my heart racing as I waited for the answer.
Lila thought he would be. I prayed she was wrong.
“Who?” Victor looked grey for a second, the bags under his eyes darker than I’d ever seen them.
“That slut you broke your marriage for.”
Victor shook his head like he was repulsed at the very suggestion, and a part of me thawed towards him.
“So, you’re notcompletelyfucking stupid then.” I smirked.
