Page 57 of Split You Open

While I don’t answer Blair out loud, my silence is damning. I can feel Blair’s body growing stiffer with each passing second.

“So you’re on Rhett’s side.” The way she says it, without inflection, is almost worse than if she had yelled.

“We don’t have to make any decisions right now,” I mutter against her skin.

Don’t be mad at me…

Unable to stand the friction gathering between us, I press my lips to her neck. I plant another kiss just above the spot I’d kissed before. I do it again, trailing kisses up her neck until I get just beneath her ear. Nipping at her earlobe finally gets a reaction out of her. She rolls her shoulder to get me to stop.

It’s not the reaction I’m looking for but at least she’s not icing me out.

“Can I take you somewhere?” I ask, as an idea strikes. “We don’t have to make a decision about Ledger now so let’s put all of this on the back burner, okay?”

At this, Blair turns her head enough to look at me from the corner of her eye. “I shouldn’t be going out, Santi. I should be laying low.”

“We aren’t going far and there won’t be anyone there,” I promise. “But we’ll find you a hat to cover your face just in case.”

Blair considers the offer. She sucks in a deep breath then lets it out slowly.

“Okay, sure. Let’s get out of here.”

Grinning, I let her go so she can slide from my lap and stand. I get up with her, and I take her hand to lead her back to the house.

“Where are we going?” she asks.

“It’s a surprise.”

Blair hums thoughtfully but doesn’t push.

Both Wes and Rhett are in the kitchen chatting in low voices when we return. Rhett pushes off the counter and steps in front of Blair.

She tenses.

It takes everything in me not to do the same.

Rhett’s changed since that night he and Blair disappeared during a storm. The next morning he’d said he was going to be better—I’m going to give him that opportunity. Now is the perfect chance to trust him not to put his foot in his mouth again.

“I’m…” Rhett’s voice trails off. He clears his throat and tries again. “I’m sorry.”

The two words are stiff and stilted from Rhett’s lips but holy shit! I blink in surprise then have to bite back a delighted grin. An apology from Rhett? A real one? I’m so fucking proud of him. Wes looks just as surprised though he manages to hide it by turning and pretending to search for something in the refrigerator.

“Don’t worry about it,” Blair replies coldly as she moves to step around him.

Rhett sidesteps to block her path. “I shouldn’t have said that shit. You’re right, it is hypocritical of me to stand in your way from getting your pound of flesh—I just… I can’t step aside and let you kill him. Not without answers.”

The look Blair gives him is utterly empty.

There’s no anger. No disappointment. Not even a flicker of understanding.

I suppress a shiver. Holy shit, Blair can be scary.

“Fine,” she says, her voice clipped. Stepping around him, she tells us, “I’m going to shower and get dressed.”

Rhett glances at me, his brows pinching together with worry.

“Don’t worry,” I mutter when she’s out of earshot. “I’ll try to change her mind.”

Wes sighs. “Keeping him alive is a mistake, you two.”