Page 117 of Forbidden to Fall

He turned to me. “Tell me it’s not true.”

“What?”

“That you didn’t fall for that two-face.”

“He’s not two-faced, Ryan, despite what you may believe.”

He stared at me, his gaze unyielding.

“Do you really think that poorly of me?” I asked. “That I’d fall for some jerk?”

“What I think,” he said, “is that you’ve always had stars in your eyes when it comes to James. You all but worshipped him, Sadie, and I knew you’d fall for him again, even though you promised me you wouldn’t.”

My cheeks burned. I had told him it was just business and that the crush was a thing of the past. But that had been before I’d come to know how different he was from what Ryan thought him.

“I knew him my whole life,” Ryan said, “and he still fooled me. He’s not the guy he pretends to be.”

“Or maybe he’s not the guy you think he is. Everyone who really knows him loves him, Ry. Even Mia.”

His brows snapped together. “What?”

My stomach clenched. I really should’ve thought through that before saying it.

“Since when does my daughter know James?” The look in his eyes dared me to answer.

I hesitated, but I couldn’t lie to him. “She was at the stables with me and…” I trailed off, not knowing how to finish.

“You took her around him without my knowledge? Knowing how I feel? Knowing what he did?” It wasn’t anger in his voice. It was pain. Betrayal.

I looked around for Lily. She’d been the one to give the okay at the stables that day, but saying so to Ryan would open Pandora’s box.

I was pretty sure I understood now why Lily had allowed Mia to stay when James was present, though.

Guilt.

“I trusted you, Sadie,” Ryan said. “Trusted you with my daughter.”

“Ry,” I pleaded. “You don’t know everything.”

“I know plenty,” he said. “I guess I’ve just been the idiot over here, though—trying to believe you when you said it was just business. I never thought you’d choose him over me.”

“I’m not,” I said fiercely.

“Really?”

“Really. You’re my brother, Ryan. I love you. I would never give up our relationship. If that did happen, it’d be your choice, not mine.”

His jaw shifted, his throat bobbing, but the expression on his face stony.

“You have Lily,” I said. “Why can’t I have James?”

“I have Lily no thanks to James.”

The words bubbled up in my stomach. The truth. I wanted to tell him. But I’d sworn I wouldn’t. And deep down, I knew Ryan wouldn’t believe it. You couldn’t force someone to believe something they didn’t want to believe.

“He’s not the villain you think he is,” I said. “Besides, don’t you think it’s time to move on? Or are you really going to stay angry at him your whole life?”

The room went pitch black to a chorus of surprised intakes of breath and the sudden stop of music.