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“Stop,” I said, but he wouldn’t listen. Fury swelled inside him as he read. His knuckles on the hand grasping the phone went white and he tensed all over, from his powerful arms to the muscles running along his jaw.
Cold sweat broke out down my back and my heart lurched forward, banging along at a furious, breakneck speed. This was really fucking bad, but it was barreling toward a goddamn disaster we couldn’t recover from.
“Stop scrolling.” I couldn’t get the words out fast enough. “Shit, there are pictures in there you’re not going to want to see.”
That finally broke through to him. His thumb ceased and he stared unblinkingly at my phone like he’d just learned it was radioactive. Everything in him was motionless.
Was he even breathing?
The only good thing about him turning into a statue was it allowed me to finally pull the phone from his grasp. I jammed it in my pocket and swallowed the lump in my throat, trying to figure out what the hell to say.
There was no point in pretending or denying what he’d just read. The damage was done.
“I’m sorry,” I said quietly. “We were going to tell you.”
There was chaos in Colin’s eyes as they stared back at me. Then, he finally moved. His fingers curled inward, digging into my chest as he fisted the front of my shirt.
“Yeah?” he snarled with disbelief.
I lifted my arms in surrender. I wasn’t going to match his aggression. “I’m serious. We planned to, but I wanted to wait until after the event.”
He used his grip to haul me forward, bringing us eye to eye. “What the fuck is wrong with you?” He sounded so disgusted, his words cut as sharp as a knife. “That’s my baby sister.”
My eyes went wide with guilt, allowing me to notice our surroundings, and it took everything in me to not react. He was my best friend, yet he glared at me like I was a monster he needed to destroy. Like he wanted to tear me apart.
It fucking hurt.
I’d been in physical fights before. It’d been the reason why I’d had to move in with my dad because back in high school, I’d struggled with my temper. Colin wouldn’t be the first person to throw a punch at me, and I knew I could survive if that happened.
But our business couldn’t.
So, even though he was all up in my face, I did my best to stay steady and controlled. “I get that you’re pissed, and you deserve to be, but look around. We cannot get into this shit right now. Tonight is supposed to be about Troy.”
He considered that for an eternity, before shoving me back with enough force I had to stumble back a half step. My gaze darted around the bar, checking to see how many people had witnessed this unprofessional moment.
Just one, thank fuck.
There was a bartender nearby who was watching us. She’d been stocking ice and had stopped mid-scoop. I plastered on a fake smile, acting like the whole thing between Colin and me had been a joke.
He noticed her too, and straightened, making a shitty attempt to convey there wasn’t any tension between us. But his vacant expression and unnaturally stiff posture did fuck-all to sell the lie.
“I told you,” he said under his breath, “I fucking told you I didn’t want you getting involved with her.”
I ran a hand down the front of my shirt, smoothing out the wrinkles from his grip. “You did.”
That only pissed him off more. “She’s too good for you.”
“Agreed.” I gave him the same line Sydney had given me. “But guess what? We don’t get to decide that.”
He shook his head. “You’re so fucking selfish, Preston.”
I clenched my jaw, making my muscles ache. “Maybe I am, but this isn’t the time or the place. We need to discuss it later.”
As if on cue, one of the servers began her approach, and was nearly to us when the cold front radiating off us stopped her in her tracks. Her hesitant gaze darted from me to my partner, and I could see the thought running through her head. She wondered why Colin looked like he hated my guts.
I forced casualness into my demeanor. “What’s up?”
“I had a question about the cake presentation. The timeline says we’re bringing it up on stage after Troy’s set, but the kitchen is asking for earlier, so they have time to cut and plate the servings.”
