Page 157 of Hard Bargain

But watching Jacob hold on to Liam as though letting go had never been an option, Knox felt the lie in that logic split wide open.

Had he made the right choice?

He’d cut it off before it could destroy him. So why did it still feel like he was bleeding out?

His grip tightened on the water bottle until the plastic crackled.

Jacob’s head turned first, Liam’s following a second later. His hand slid from Liam’s throat, trailing down his collarbone before dropping away. Liam exhaled and took a small step back, straightening his shirt. “Hey,” he said easily. “We were about to make a very late breakfast. You hungry?”

Knox forced his fingers to relax. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to interrupt,” he muttered, hating how flat his voice came out.

“Don’t be silly,” Liam said at once, already reaching for a pan like nothing had happened. “You’re just in time. I’m attempting breakfast burritos. Could go very well or very badly. You want some?”

A small huff escaped Knox. “Yeah. I could eat.”

“Good.” Liam looked satisfied. “Then you’re on coffee duty.”

Knox moved to the machine, grateful for something to do. Movement was easier than standing still under Jacob’s gaze—because Jacob hadn’t looked away. “You look upset,” he said.

Knox turned away before the look in Jacob’s eyes could press any deeper. “I’m fine.”

“You’re crushing that bottle hard enough to break it, and you won’t look at me. That doesn’t seem fine to me.”

Knox grabbed a mug and pressed a button on the machine. It whirred softly as it filled. He kept his eyes on it like it required his complete attention. “I said I’m fine.”

“You haven’t been fine since you arrived here,” Jacob said.

Knox bristled. Maybe because Jacob sounded so certain. Or because hearing concern in his brother's voice hurt more than indifference ever could. Knox set the mug down harder than he meant to. “You know me that well already?”

Jacob didn’t flinch. “Enough to know when you’re hurting.”

Knox wished he hadn’t turned around. Jacob was watching him with an unbearable steadiness that stirred up too much at once—the closeness he’d walked in on, the piercing reminder of what he’d left behind, the specific cruelty of watching two other people love each other openly while the person Knox loved was four hundred miles away because Knox had chosen to put him there.

His throat closed, and to his horror, tears pressed hot behind his eyes. He looked away too late. Something must have shown, because Jacob’s expression changed, alarm flashing behind the calm.

Knox gripped the counter and blinked furiously, willing himself back under control.

Silence stretched.

Liam cleared his throat and clapped his hands once. “Okay,” he said brightly, perfectly aware of the tension filling the room. “It’s too early for a heavy emotional reckoning. We haven’t even eaten yet.”

The forced lightness broke the tension just enough for Knox to breathe again. He lowered his head, pretending to focus on filling the second mug with coffee, and the third.

“You should come out with us tonight,” Liam said, turning toward him with cheese in his hand. “We’re meeting Mason at a bar for drinks.”

“Mason?” Knox asked, grateful for anything neutral to focus on.

“Friend of mine,” Jacob said.

“He’s charming,” Liam added. “You’ll like him.”

Knox wanted to say no immediately, but the thought of sitting alone upstairs, waiting for nothing, didn’t feel like a better option.

Liam leaned back against the counter. “You’ve been carrying something heavy. We both see it. That’s not even getting into the scars you won’t talk about. You can’t keep carrying it by yourself forever. When you’re ready, we’re here.”

There was too much truth to argue with, so he said nothing.

“Come join us tonight,” Liam continued. “It doesn’t have to be a big thing. Just drinks.”