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“Yeah.”
“Looked like a douche.”
Part of me thought there was more to it than that. “I get a weird vibe from him.”
Asher frowned. “You’re looking for something that’s not there.”
“Maybe.” But I didn’t think so.
“Ever think that maybe you just don’t like him because he’s hanging around Kennedy?”
I pressed my lips together. I wanted to deny the comment, but he could be onto something. It wouldn’t hurt to mention him to Nate though. Perhaps my brother could use his police resources to make sure the guy was on the up-and-up.
“Come on.” Asher stood. “Let’s play darts. We need to distract you before you do something you’ll regret.”
“Fine.” I followed him to the dartboard, trying to put Kennedy, Aiden, and the entire stalker situation to the back of my mind. “You’re going down, Heaton.”
ChapterTwenty-Four
KENNEDY
Hi Liam,
I’ve ended up in this really weird space with my siblings, where I’m their sister, but sometimes it seems more like I’m their mother. I don’t like that. Nobody can replace Mom, and I hate when it feels like I’m stepping into her shoes. It’s difficult to navigate with Blair because he’s the closest to me in age, but somehow it’s even worse when it comes to the twins. Perhaps it’s because I know that by the time they’re legally adults, they’ll have had me as their guardian for longer than Mom was, and that feels all kinds of wrong.
I hope life is easier for you than it is for me.
Love,
K xx
A bang woke me.
I jerked upright, panting, already searching the room for an intruder. None of the alarms had gone off, and there didn’t seem to be anyone inside. Biting my lip, I eased my feet off the edge of the bed and tiptoed to the window. Nobody there.
Bang!
This time, I was able to pinpoint it as coming from the direction of the front door. I slipped a robe over my short cotton pajamas and treaded softly through the house. As I drew nearer, I realized somebody was knocking—a bit too forcefully. I reached for the door, then stopped. What if it was the stalker?
“Who’s there?” I called, wondering if it would have been smarter to simply sneak out my bedroom window, just in case.
“It’s Blair.”
I yanked the door open, hardly able to believe my eyes. There, standing on the doorstep with his hair mussed, eyeliner emphasizing the green of his eyes, dressed in a Linkin Park T-shirt and ratty black jeans, was my brother. I launched myself into his arms, smiling as they closed around me. Blair might be four years younger, but he was a good deal taller and broader than me.
“God, I missed you,” I told him, breathing in his usual peppermint scent. He probably had a packet of mints in his pocket. He started popping them to mask the smell of cigarettes, and even though he’d quit smoking, he’d never managed to shake the mint habit.
He squeezed me. “Missed you too, Kenz.”
I pulled back, looking up at his face. “What are you doing here?”
He rolled his eyes. “Your stalker delivered a Christmas gift. Was I supposed to stay in L.A. and leave you to deal with that on your own? Hell no. I did Christmas with the others, then caught the first flight to New Zealand. I talked Tyler into coming too, so he’ll be here tomorrow. He’s stopping by Melbourne to visit some friends first.”
“Oh, right.” I wasn’t sure what to make of that. Blair and Tyler Johnson, an all-American trust funder, had been friends for a long time, although I hadn’t seen much of him recently and I was surprised he’d agreed to come.
“That’s okay, isn’t it?” he said, suddenly looking worried.
“Of course.” I tried to smile reassuringly, and then I glanced at the time. “You must be tired. Why don’t we sort out bedding, and then we can catch up properly later?”
