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“Not anymore. There is no more you and Stella.”
He’s silent for a few seconds. “Who the fuck do you think you are? You’re my brother. You’re supposed to have my back.”
I shake my head. “Not this time. What you did to her”
“I know!” His tone is raw as he cuts me off. “I know I fucked up bad, okay? And maybe she’ll never forgive me. But I have to try.”
My brother and I have always been close. We’re different people and I don’t agree with him on lots of things, but he’s my twin. My family. It hits me all at once, though, that our relationship will never be the same after this. I don’t think I can forgive him for what he did to Stella.
“Give the girl a goddamn break.” I’m pleading with him at this point. “Her mom is dying. And she found out about your side piece in the shittiest way possible.”
“Don’t be a dick. None of this is Cara’s fault. I’m the one who got myself into this mess.”
I stop walking and run a hand through my hair, staring out at the horizon for a few seconds to ground myself.
“She blocked you. And I’m not going to try to make her talk to you. You have to let it go.”
He laughs bitterly. “That’s so easy for you to say, Ben. This is Stella. We’ve loved each other for a decade. She’s...This is my whole life we’re talking about.”
I scoff. “She’ll never forgive you, man. Even if she wanted to—and she doesn’t—no one in her life would let it happen.”
A second of silence passes.
“Tell me the truth, Ben. Are you trying to get with her?”
His accusation hits me like a right hook, stunning me. Even though my gut reaction is fuck him, part of me feels a stab of guilt. No one’s ever suspected I have feelings for Stella. Until now.
“No,” I say, and it’s the truth.
Have there been moments, like in the massage suite the other day, when I wasn’t sure I could keep myself from telling her how I feel? From acting on it? Fuck yes. But I’m not some asshole trying to get her into bed when she’s going through so much.
“It just doesn’t add up,” Owen says. “You stepping in as the big hero. Was this honeymoon your idea? Was”
“I’m done with this conversation. Stop calling and texting. Line up some counseling for yourself, you fucking need it.”
I end the call, putting the phone back in my pocket. Then I roll my shoulders, take a deep breath and start walking again, trying to reset myself mentally.
I’m not letting him ruin my good mood. I’m in paradise with Stella, and I think she’s going to love the surprise I have planned for today. After she got upset over her mom yesterday, I decided I’d do whatever it takes to put a smile on her face.
And if I know her as well as I think I do, this will do it.
“Ben...” Stella turns to me, her eyes wide with wonder. “How did you find this?”
“I asked around. You like it?”
She laughs lightly. “I love it. It’s just like the picture I put on my bulletin board. And there’s no one here. I can’t believe this!”
With a hefty tip to the concierge, I got him to call in a favor from a local resident with an oceanfront luxury home that has a secluded, private beach. For today, Stella and I have this place to ourselves.
Stella takes a few steps off the wood plank walkway that leads from the public road to the private property, pausing to turn and look at me. “Are we allowed to be here?”
“We are. This beach belongs to a homeowner who isn’t in town right now. We have the keycode to get into the house and use the pool. Whatever you want.”
“Ben.” Her eyes well with emotion as she walks the few steps separating us and throws her arms around me in a hug. “This is amazing. Thank you so much.”
Damn, it feels amazing to have her in my arms. She fits perfectly against me, her breath warming the crook of my neck. I force myself to keep my arms around her back, though my hands itch to slide lower—to cup her ass as I kiss her deeply.
“We only get one free day here,” I say, stepping back so she won’t feel me getting hard. “I wanted to make it a great one.”
“We have this all to ourselves?” She gestures to the expanse of sand, palms, and bright blue water. “I could be a nudist for the day if I wanted?”
Fuck. Fully hard now. She cringes, her cheeks pinking. “I mean...I’m not going to be a nudist, I was just saying...”
“You could if you wanted,” I say lightly.
If she wanted to kill me, that is. My self-control does have limits, and seeing Stella prancing around naked in the sun would destroy the roadblocks I’m trying so carefully to keep in place between us.
