Page 151 of Downforce

By the time I’ve processed everything, it’s just me and Travis standing in the middle of his condo looking at one another, dumbfounded.

“Did they just set us up?” he asks, looking between me and the door.

“I think so.” I glare at the closed door. “I’m going to beat Tristan’s ass.”

“Not before I do.”

“You won’t put your hands on my brother,” I threaten.

He glares right back at me. “At least you're loyal to one of us.”

“You son of a⁠—”

“We have the same parents.”

“You’re impossible,” I say before throwing myself onto his couch. I’m still staring at the ceiling when I feel the other side of the couch compress.

“All you had to do was apologize. You didn’t have to get my wife to set me up.”

“First of all,” I sit up and turn to face him, throwing an elbow on the back of the couch, “I didn’t do anything to apologize for. Second, I did not conspire with Alyssia or Tristan for any of this.” I wave my hand between the two of us. “Did you not just hear them say they were working together?

“Tristan had me running over here with my heart in my throat thinking something was wrong with Lucky.”

Travis’ head juts backwards. “He what?”

I explain the phone call I received that had me freaked out.

“Is that why he was recording Lucky crying last night?” he ponders, as if asking himself.

“Excuse me?”

Trav nods and tells me that Lucky was crying the night before because of his teeth while Tristan was here.

“He said he wanted to record for posterity or some nonsense,” Travis tuts.

“Such a liar.”

There’s a lull in the conversation before Travis says, “Thanks for rushing over here though.”

“You say that like you’re surprised I wouldn’t drop everything to get to any of you if I knew something was wrong.”

His face softens. “I know that,” he says softly. “Same for me.” He looks at me as if urging me to believe it.

I nod.

There’s another break in the conversation.

“Do you love him?”

I swallow back the urge to remind him that I’ve already answered that question.

“Yes.”

Travis drops his head before nodding. “I know.”

“Then why’d you ask.”

He shrugs. “Wanted to be sure. Does he love you?”