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“She’s in good shape this morning.”
“I was sleeping,” I grumble. “He ruined my night.”
Lie. My night was perfect.
Then, in a theatrical gesture, I slam the door, making the walls of the apartment shake. Resting my forehead on the cold wood, I sigh for a long moment until an arm slips around my hip to close the lock for me.
“That was close,” I whisper, turning to Nolan.
His whole body is tense, and he towers over me, his eyebrows furrowed in a straight, stern line. His hair is a mess and I want to dig my fingers in it, like I’ve been doing all night, to smell his scent. Again. All the time.
“We have to tell him.”
Nolan quickly steps back, stung by my remark. I try to hold him back, but he rushes to grab his clothes from the floor and put them on. His head raised at the slightest noise; he instinctively relaxes when we finally hear the front door slam.
“Nolan, did you hear me? I asked louder. “We have to tell the guys. You have to tell Edgar. We almost got caught!”
I may be overreacting, because just yesterday we agreed to simply enjoy what we had without putting pressure on ourselves. If we finally say it, then we will be free, and this kind of rude awakening will not happen again. Ever again.
“I know.”
“I can do it. I know my brother; we need to be direct. I can talk to him about it tonight before your practice. He has to go back to the apartment after a class and it will be just the two of us.”
Nolan shakes his head and pulls me to him.
“I’m the one who has to do it, Scar.”
“You don’t have to.”
“Yes, I do. I will find a moment to tell him. I want it done by my rules. You know your brother, but I think I know best how he reacts when it comes to you. I don’t want you here.”
I push him away to force him to let go of me and scrutinize him with intensity.
He’s trying to protect me.
Not the way you protect your girlfriend.
More like a child who should not be present at a fight because she is too small.
“Stop it,” I hiss.
“What?”
“Putting me on the side because you think I’m not cut out for confrontation.”
“Scar,” he says, trying to grab my arm.
I take a step back.
“You want to tell him? Fine, but don’t do this because you think I can’t handle my brother. You know him, but so do I. He spent his life over protecting me. Thatyouspent your life protecting like a fragile thing.” He doesn’t say anything, so I continue, annoyed, “I’m not afraid of my brother.”
Nolan chuckles and I cross my arms against my chest. His head falls to the side and a playful smile crosses his angelic face.
I hate that smile, because it makes me want to give him everything.
Starting with myself.
“You’re not afraid of anything, Scarlett Martin, I get that.”
