“He gave you that, huh?” Angus nods to my shiny new black credit card. Something about the way he says it sets me on edge. His tone is way off. And I don’t love the choice of words. It is,however, none of Angus’s business who his brother trusts with his wealth.
Time for me to smile pleasantly and take a sip of coffee and keep my mouth shut.
“I didn’t realize you two were so serious,” he says.
Nash gives him a smile/frown combo. Like he isn’t sure how to react. “She’s living with me.”
“Yeah, but Audrey’s right next door and it’s not as if her house is that big. Wasn’t sure if it was just convenient or what. Left over from you two faking a relationship to keep you anonymous in town or something.”
“No. She’s my high priestess of happiness,” says Nash, as if this explains everything.
“Brother, don’t take this the wrong way, but you’ve dated a lot of people.” Angus laughs quietly. “Remember the pole dancer who moved in after meeting you the night before?”
“Her name was Avery. She had ballet training and was studying to be a paleontologist. It was a real meeting of the minds,” says Nash. “What’s your point?”
“How long did it last?”
“Oh, a solid two or three weeks. She didn’t have much free time in her schedule, and I was playing festivals over the summer. But we had fun while it lasted and that’s what matters.”
“What about Gabriela, your former marketing manager?”
“We spent a nice four months together,” my boyfriend answers. “Farmer was pissed at me cause she left the company when we broke up. Like it’s my fault he wasn’t paying her what she was worth.”
“The lead singer of The Regrets?”
“Harper and I spent a wonderful seven weeks together at my place in Nashville. It’s a lie that she named her band after me.”
“How about the pro bike rider?” asks Angus. “What was her name…Brooke?”
“Just because we didn’t last long doesn’t mean it wasn’t sort of significant. And her name was Briony.”
“There wasn’t even time for the ink to dry on the cohabitation agreement.”
And yeah. I’ve heard more than enough. “You invited all of these people to live with you?”
“It just seemed easier that way, you know?” He shrugs. “A fast way to get to know someone without having to go out in public and get hassled by the media and so on. Though I would remind you, my brother’s information on me is four years out of date. And it’s been at least that long since I’ve asked anyone to move in with me.”
“Doesn’t mean you don’t still hate being alone,” says Angus. “There’s a whole history of you doing this for the wrong reasons and it not lasting more than a couple of days.”
Nash’s sigh is as heavy as can be. “This is going to shock the shit out of you, but people grow and change. The situation back then with Lady Caroline made me see things differently. Made me want more. It’s a big part of why I came here…not just to stop the burnout, but to figure out how to live my life differently. And June is an important part of that.”
His brother does not appear convinced.
“I don’t want to start shit with you.” Nash’s jawline is set. “But you need to fuck off and be somewhere else for a while. Otherwise, we’re going to start beating on each other again and I doubt your nose can handle it so soon.”
Angus’s answering gaze is hard as can be. “If she means something to you, then there’s no need to rush. That’s all I’m saying.”
“It makes sense you want to protect him,” I say. Because someone needs to be the voice of reason here. The threat of violence is definitely in the air. “I don’t want to be in the middle of this. But by having this conversation in front of me, you’ve putme there. Your brother is an adult, more than capable of making his own choices.”
Angus nods to the credit card. “Did you ask him for it?”
“I did not.”
The relief on his face is palpable as he gets to his feet. And no one says a word as he leaves.
I pick up the black card with my name on it and stare at it a while. The idea of owning one of these never occurred to me. And it is a big step forward. His brother wasn’t wrong about that. But then, everything to do with this relationship feels like a trust fall of sorts.
“Things are changing fast for us,” he says. “I need to know you’re safe and can access anything you need. That’s what this is.”
