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My eyes teetered between him and the road. “Because two people you love betrayed you.”
He swallowed, his eyes going distant. “It’s like I don’t even know them. James …” The vein at his temple twitched. “I want to kill him. And Brandy?” He exhaled harshly, as though her name caused him pain. “I just can’t believe … that she could do this.” He tapped his head against the headrest, closing his eyes.
A slow breath escaped me as my hands tightened on the steering wheel. “This will kill Alec.”
The heaviness I felt in my chest spread to every single part of me. I didn’t know if I should tell my sisters first, and then we could all approach Alec together. But it needed to be done soon because relatives flying in for the wedding would have to cancel their plans. The reception … omigod. The wedding planner would be so upset. I didn’t want to break the news to her. Maybe Austin could do it since he was the one paying her. All those wasted resources …
We were stopped at a red light.
“You’ll lose all that money. The photographer. The DJ. The reception. All of it.”
“That shit doesn’t even matter, Sydney. I don’t care about any of that.”
I nodded, warmth forming behind my eyes because there was so much to do, so many people to inform, but the technicalities were the easiest part of this. Telling my brother would be the hardest.
“I’ll go with you,” he said gently.
“What?”
“To tell Alec.”
I pulled into the hospital parking lot. “You don’t have to do that, Austin.”
“I know. But I’m going to. I’ve known him for years. Even though you don’t believe it, I love him like a brother too.”
And I could see the sadness in his eyes. So many people hurt by one selfish decision. And suddenly, I hated Brandy for what she’d done. Not just for Alec, but for Austin too. Once we were parked, Austin winced when he shifted to unbuckle his seat belt.
“I can help you.”
His jaw set stubbornly. “I’m not used to help.”
I knew how that was. I was always the one helping people. I guessed him living as the man of the house with no father figure, he was the same way. But help him I did. And our eyes locked while I undid his seat belt. I didn’t know how we would get through this, but I knew we were on the same team now.
AUSTIN
The pain in my arm was doubling. I was trying not to freak the fuck out, but it was difficult in this sterile emergency room, watching all the sick people and families come and go. There were a few trauma patients being brought in on beds, some in wheelchairs. The waiting room was packed. At the nurses’ station, there was a mile-long line of people waiting to be checked in.
Brandy was in the forefront of my mind, but right behind it was my shot at this year’s Cy Young Award. If I had to guess, I was probably out for the season. And the thought killed me, gutted me.
This award was supposed to be the pinnacle of my career. The past year, it had slipped through my fingertips. The disappointment was about to strangle me. I tried to straighten, but pain shot up my arm. My shoulders slumped, and I let my head hang.
I shifted in my seat and groaned, trying to grab something from my pocket. My right hand throbbed like a bitch, and my shoulder was dislocated, jacked, or something. It hurt like hell, but I had a high tolerance for pain.
First things first. I needed to call Noah, my agent, to tell him what was going on.
“What do you need?” Sydney asked, seated right beside me.
Crazy how only a few hours ago, I’d hated this woman for insinuating that Brandy could do such a thing even though she’d been spot on.
I’d thought I knew her. My own sister, a cheater. Maybe I wasn’t around much during the season, but I tried to be present when I could, always coming home, even when I had a short break.
My mother was barely present and was no fucking help. It was why I always aimed to be the best in my field, so when I became a free agent, I could pick where I wanted to go. And I wanted stay in Chicago to be close to family. To my sister.
I let out a slow breath. Maybe this was my fault. I hadn’t been the best at setting an example in the dating arena.
“Did you ever really like her?” I asked Sydney with a touch of bitterness.
Because when I’d found her in the mall, she certainly hadn’t seemed to think she was wrong about my sister. Not even talking about what she saw, but about her character. And that hurt.
