Page 70 of Pretty Lies

J cleared his throat even though Cory wasn’t looking at him. “Uh, there a problem?”

“No.”

“Yes,” Della said at the same time Cory did. She gave her brother a smile over her shoulder—their chat about Jennika could wait. Like everything else. It wasn’t important—the world still didn’t revolve around her, after all—and they could get back to this later. That was the beauty of her relationship with her brother. J always made time for her. “Just something I have to deal with, J. It’s not on Cory.”

“Yeah, okay,” her brother replied.

She turned to face Cory again, giving him the floor without saying so. “A chat, then?”

“It’ll only take a minute, Della.”

She doubted that.

It was okay, though.

•••

Della let Cory lead the way. The two found themselves outside in the alley beside the warehouse. With his booted foot placed in the crack of the exit door to keep it from locking them out of the warehouse, he half faced her.

“First, before anything else,” Cory said, “what you did this morning isn’t okay. You don’t take off without letting me know where you’re going first. That’s not safe, and you don’t need me to tell you that to know it, either.”

“I know,” Della said quickly.

But if he felt the need to get it out …

More power to him.

“And I’m sorry, it won’t happen again,” she added.

Cory’s jaw flexed before he said, “Yeah, especially if you’re coming to a place like this. Really let me know ahead of time.”

Through the small crack in the door, Della could see the short hallway leading back to the mess inside the warehouse. “You knew J was here—what he’s doing for … work?”

His stare remained blank and unreadable. “I know where a lot of people work—it’s sort of what I fucking do, you know, when I’m not looking after entitled, frustrating women like you.”

Okay.

Now he wasn’t playing around.

Della’s smartass came out to play even though she knew it wasn’t the right time at all. “I thought you liked a challenge, Cory?”

“But I don’t like fucking games, though. Especially when it means you might be in danger. Clear enough?”

Apparently, she could feel like a bigger asshole.

“I am sorry,” she told him. “I just needed to talk to my brother today, and I didn’t want you asking why … or something. Stupid. I know.”

He stilled, his gaze flicking over her face even though Della refused to meet his gaze. “Were you coming to talk about me?”

She sighed.

“Yes and no. And no and yes.”

Cory’s expression darkened. “What?”

“I know. I confuse myself just about as much as I confuse everyone else. Surprise, I look put together but really, I’m a mess. Welcome to my world.”

“Della—”