Why else would I go to the trouble of getting her leverage that she can use against her brother-in-law? If I really didn’t care, I would use her as a pawn and discard her once I’m done. Instead, my thoughts are constantly consumed by her, and the mental gymnastics I’m having to do to try and convince myself that I can never forgive her are starting to wear me out.
At some point, I either have to cut her out or let her b?—
“Cormac?”
“Huh?” I snap out of my thoughts and glance at Brennan to find him frowning at me. “What?”
“Are you thinking about Fiona?”
“What makes you say that?” I ask a little too quickly.
“Your defensive-ass tone, for starters.”
“Things are just…complicated.”
“No shit.”
I exhale a long breath, trying to focus on the long stretch of road ahead.
Brennan stays quiet, giving me the space to talk if I want to.
Normally, I wouldn’t, but I’m tired of keeping everything to myself.
“It’s just… Fiona didn’t choose this. She was cornered,” I say, hesitantly. “And Lorcan used the one thing against her he knew she wouldn’t walk away from.”
“And you respect that.”
I don’t answer right away.
“I hate that I do,” I admit finally. “I hate that a part of me understands why she did it.”
“Because you would burn the world down for Scout.”
“Yes.”
“Then you already get it.”
“I know all of this, but that doesn’t mean I can simply forget what happened and automatically be able to trust her again.”
“No. But it’s obvious Fiona has been bending over backwards to make things right. And as pissed as I am about what happened, I also know that what she did has to count for something.”
“So, you’re saying I should give her another chance?”
“I’m saying, you would be crazy to let Lorcan’s actions ruin how happy that woman makes you.”
I say nothing, and Brennan soon returns to checking his messages on his phone, leaving me to dwell on my own thoughts for the rest of the drive home.
However, when I pull up to the house, before I’ve even parked the car, the front door opens, and Fiona comes rushing down the steps, her phone in hand, and her eyes panicked.
Instantly, I’m on alert, my mind racing.
“What is it?” I demand, rushing over to her. “Is it Scout? Is he?—”
Breathlessly, she hands me the phone. “It’s Lorcan. He wants to talk.”
I scan the text on the screen and bite back a curse.
Brennan slams the car door shut. “He really needs to get a hobby.”
