“Demi is good for me,” Tristan said.
“No, she’s just a good person,” I shot back.
“I’m just not that good for her right now,” he continued.
Rolling her eyes, Blake asked, “So you’re playing the martyr now? Falling on your valiant sword?”
Tristan eyed her warily. “You don’t understand.”
“I definitely do,” she said. “And just so you know… if Demi was one ofmyclients, I would’ve told her to leave your ass alone a long time ago.”
“This anger can’t just be about Demi,” Tristan mused.
“It’s not,” Dallas confirmed. “It’s about you.”
“Well, let’s hear it.” Tristan stretched his legs. “Tell me what I can do so that we can move past this.”
“You could actually spend real time with all of us,” Asa suggested.
“And be engaged during that time,” Bliss added.
Tristan nodded. “Okay.”
The conversation had taken an unexpected turn. If I were to believe everything my brother was saying, he’d seemingly realized the error of his ways and was ready to confront his past to build a relationship with us. I wasn’t sure who he thought he was talking to but none of us were stupid. Even Asa was eyeing him suspiciously. After all, we’d been raised by two of the best bullshit detectors I’d ever met. My parents had perfected the art of spotting a lie before it was even released into the atmosphere.
“You know the reason why we’re not close anymore?” I asked.
He let out a heavy sigh. “I’m sure you’re going to tell me.”
“Because you’re comfortable in your lies.”
“And this sudden change of heart is giving…” Blake placed a hand on her hip. “…You think we’re dumb as fuck.”
I pointed at my little sister. Blake was essentially me in a pair of yoga pants and a long ponytail. Of all my siblings, she was the most like me in her ability to not give a fuck about anybody’s feelings. “That part.”
Tristan’s jaw ticked. “Whatever.”
“Here’s another truth for you,” I offered. “You don’t want Demi because you’ve been fucking Sasha for years.”
“Whoa!” Asa shouted.
Paityn gasped. “What?”
Dallas’ eyes widened, but she recovered quickly. “Seriously?”
Tristan’s eyes flashed to mine. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
“Didn’t think I knew about that, huh?” I’d known about it all along because Sasha told me herself. She’d also sworn me to secrecy which was why I hadn’t told anyone else. Until today. “Here’s another fact. I saw you withherwhile Demi was waiting foryoualone at the damn hotel bar.”
Tristan stood. “Sasha has nothing to do with this.”
“So why hide it?” I asked.
“I’m not the only one hiding shit, Duke.” Tristan approached me. “You have some skeletons too.”
Backing down wasn’t my thing. Never had been. “But they’re not hidden. You’re just not asking the right questions.”
“Does the family know about your past?”
