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“No.” I shook my head. “No, we’re not.”
“Colton,” he muttered, gritting his teeth. “Stop being such a stubborn little shit. You owe me.”
As my face drained of color, Julianna gasped. “You fucking prick,” she started in a low, calm rage. I glanced at her, worried she was pissed at me. But her glare was solely for Brandt. She shoved him hard in the chest.
He stumbled a step away from her, his mouth falling open with obvious shock.
“He doesn’t owe you shit,” she growled, making him blink and shake his head. But she kept advancing, getting right in his face. “He was eight fucking years old. You can’t hold him accountable for that. If you want to blame someone, go talk to your goddamn mother. Not Colton.”
My mouth fell open. But seriously, what the hell?
Brandt gaped at her too before looking at me and saying, “What the fuck is she talking about?”
“I…I don’t…” I turned my gaze to Julianna, right about the time her eyes grew wide and she slapped her hands over her mouth.
“Oh my God, I’m sorry.” The muffled words came through her fingers as she begged me with big brown eyes to forgive her.
Finally, Brandt rasped, “Did you tell her?”
“What? No!” I stared at him earnestly, hoping he believed me, before turning back to Julianna, and trying to figure out how she knew.
“I guessed,” she admitted, creeping her hands away from her mouth long enough to confess.
I shook my head, unable to believe it. But how…? “Holy shit,” I whispered. Brandt was never going to forgive me for this. “I didn’t…” I started insistently, turning back to him, but he just held up his hands before turning away and leaving the apartment.
I stepped after him to chase him down and convince him I hadn’t been telling anyone what had happened to him, but Julianna grabbed my arm.
“Colton, oh my God. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I didn’t…I didn’t mean to—”
“How did you know?”
“I…” She shook her head. “I figured it out.”
I shook my head. “How?”
“Because you said the night of his wedding that your mom had caused your nightmares, but then the night you told me about the boy you saw molested, you said that had caused them, so I just put the pieces together. And Brandt is five years older than you, which made sense—”
“Holy shit,” I uttered, slapping my hands to my face. “Holy shit. I didn’t realize I’d told you so much. Oh, fuck. He’s never going to forgive me. I need to…dammit, I need to talk to him.”
I started for the door again, but Julianna’s small voice stopped me. “Colton?” was all she said.
When I glanced back, the worry on her face had me turning to her fully. “Jesus, baby doll. Don’t worry. It’ll be okay.”
She gripped my wrists when I cupped her cheeks in my hands. “You didn’t believe him, did you? That I’m only with you because of him?”
“Of course I know that.” I pressed our foreheads together. “I didn’t believe him.” I sent her a smile, hoping she’d smile back. But she still looked worried. So I sighed and lamented, “I guess your crush on him is really over.”
Her lips trembled into a smile. “Baby, I’ve been over him since the moment you walked into the Forbidden Nightclub and flirted with me. I just didn’t realize it until you offered to be my consolation prize.”
“Damn.” My chest heaved with emotion. Hoping for something to be true was a hell of a lot different than hearing it said aloud straight from the source. I decided I liked hearing it straight from the source so much better.
My relief made Julianna squint. “You weren’t really worried about that, were you?”
I shrugged, not really able to lie. “There might have been some occasions where I thought I was the only one feeling it. I gotta admit, it’s not cool wondering if you’re falling hopelessly for a woman who might still be hung up on your brother.”
“Colton David Gamble.” She tsked and shook her head with reproach. “How in God’s name could you ever think I could ever focus on anyone else whenever you’re in the room?”
“I don’t know.” I shrugged. “I’m used to coming in second place.”
