Chapter 28 #4
Once that was dealt with, I was able to dive into a mountain of pressing work. By mid-afternoon, I decided to check in with Keira and Noah. Neither of the Weatherly siblings was willing to bury the hatchet.
Fuck that.
After work, I considered dropping by the Quintus Hotel––I was this close from getting a room for the night––but decided against it. There’s no way I’m going to allow a pint-size impatient, headstrong hellion to lock me out of my own damn home.
As I enter the house from the garage, I pull out my phone and send said hellion a text.
Rhys
I’m here.
Keira
It’s your house. You don’t need my permission to come and go.
I let out a frustrated grunt.
I can’t win with her.
Before stepping into the kitchen, I kick off my shoes and remove my socks. Loosening my tie, I make my way to the bar cart.
Drinking on the job sets an appalling example. Drinking after a shitty day is a requirement to maintain one’s sanity.
I’m just about to let an expensive gulp of scotch mellow out the tension when the doorbell rings.
What now?
I drop the tumbler on the bar cart and march to the door, ready to chew up the security guard who dared to show up at my door unannounced.
This better be an emergency.
I don’t bother looking through the peephole. I swing the door open. The last person I expected to see after his stormy exit is standing at my door. The tornado I saw earlier in his eyes has tapered down to a mild simmer.
I get to live another day.
“Hey,” Noah says.
I don’t bother with niceties. “You must be here to pick up your suitcase,” I say with a detached voice. “Let me grab it––”
“No.” I expect him to hurl insults. “Nice suit,” he says, “Must’ve cost a lot.” His eyes brush the length of my body.
What the fuck? He was raging and now he wants to talk about fashion?
“It’s bespoke.”
“I guess you went to work.”
“I had to get out of here. Your sister is giving me attitude and the cold shoulder.”
He shakes his head. “You two are trending on social media,” he says.
“You saw the news?”
“It’s everywhere. How do you do it? Same for Keira. I couldn’t be in the public eye like that.”
“A few things––I live in a gated community, I’m used to it, and by four o’clock a bigger celebrity scandal broke. We won’t be trending for much longer.”
He chuckles and then goes quiet.
“Look, Noah, I’m not sure why you’re here, but if it’s for round two of our feud, save it.”
He cringes. “Can I come in?”
“Are you going to hit me?” I’m still not able to read his mood. It’s best to proceed with caution.
“No, idiot. I would’ve decked you when you opened the door… element of surprise and all,” he says.
I’m sure that’s supposed to make me feel better, but it doesn’t.
I consider him.
“I’m not going to hurt you, Rhys.”
“I’m just making sure.”
“I’d never do that. You’re my best friend,”
I cock a brow. “Am I?”
“Friends fight and then they get over it.”
“You should’ve seen the fury in your eyes earlier. I’m man enough to admit I was scared. I’ve seen you beat douchebags to a pulp.”
“Can you blame me for being pissed off and a little surprised?” His arms fly open. “You didn’t even prepare me. You just dropped a bomb in my lap––”
“Correction. Your sister dropped a bomb in your lap. I was going to finesse things in a way that would preserve this handsome face.” I point to my head.
“Fucker.” He tries to play-punch me.
I dodge, so he misses.
We both laugh.
“Seriously, can I come in? I’d like to talk. No shouting. No cursing. No losing control.”
I nod.
I move to the side and let him in, close the door, and lock it.
“Where’s my sister?”
“Somewhere in the house,” I say. “My guess? Her bedroom––or the lounging pool––her favorite spot in the late afternoons. We aren’t talking, so you can put your mind at ease. We’re not kissing either.”
He offers a small smile.
“I was about to have a drink before hitting my home gym. Want to join me?”
“I had three drinks over lunch to calm me down, but that was hours ago. I’d welcome another one. As for the gym, hell yeah.”
“Where did you go?”
“When I passed the security gates with fume still billowing from my ears, I grabbed a cab that was driving by, intent on heading to LAX, just to realize on the way there I had left my suitcase at your place. I asked the cabbie to drop me off in Venice instead, where I spent the day.”
I chuckle.
Noah follows behind me as I stride to the living room.
“Take a seat,” I say. “Scotch neat?”
“Perfect.”
I pour his drink and grab mine.
I drop both tumblers on the coffee table before taking a seat on the couch opposite him.
Noah lifts his glass. “Here’s to not letting a woman––even if she’s my sister––come between a friendship.”
“I’ll drink to that.”
We take a long swig of our drink.
“This is good stuff.” Noah nods.
“It goes down easy… and God knows I needed it.”
“I might’ve been a little abrasive earlier,” Noah says.
“You were an asshole. Not only to me, but also to the sister you proclaim to care so much about. True, her delivery sucked, but you implied a lot of awful things about me.”
His smile falls away, replaced by a somber expression.
“You’re right. That’s why I’m here. I’m sorry.
I let my emotions do all the talking.” He studies me for a long beat.
“You’re not going to hurt her, right?” He doesn’t give me a chance to respond.
“I mean, you don’t do relationships… not since Dana. ”
My jaw tenses.
“If you’re seriously asking me that question, our friendship is over because that means you know nothing about me, Noah. Will Keira and I disagree? Yes. Am I going to say things that upset her? Yes. Are we going to fight? Yes. I’m only human, and so is she. Would I intentionally hurt her? Never.”
He lets out a frustrated sigh.
“You have to let go, Noah. I understand your need to protect her from assholes and douchebags, but to quote your words, I’m neither of those things.”
Another loud sigh leaves his lungs.
“I have no idea where this is going because we just made a decision to take the plunge a few days ago,” I say. “That said, I’ve had an interest in her for a while––”
“You have?”
“It’s a good thing you don’t see her that way, but your sister is attractive.
” Telling him she’s smoking hot might be pushing it.
Still, Noah seems to shrink to half his size at my words.
“Her impetuous nature and zest for life make her that much more irresistible. You haven’t been around her since she came back from Nepal.
She’s changed into a more confident and brazen woman.
I’m done suppressing my attraction for her.
Things lined up perfectly. She’s here. Under my roof.
Before she left for London, the timing was off––the age difference seemed more jarring than it does now, rehab happened, followed by SCORE, and then she was crossing the pond. ”
He nods, pensive. “So, you two are dating.”
“We are.”
“My best friend and my kid sister… I can’t wrap––”
“I shouldn’t have to choose between my girl and my brother.”
He takes a slow sip of his drink, eyeing me from over the rim of the glass. “You won’t have to.”
There’s acceptance in his statement.
“You’re okay with this?” My shock is evident.
“While playing tourist in Venice, I had time to get my head out of my ass,” he says.
“To answer your question, I’m okay with you dating Keira.
” He pauses. “At least I’ll never have to worry about someone mistreating her or disrespecting her.
” A slow grin stretches his lips. “My little sis surely knows how to pick ’em. ”
I chuckle.
“Not to mention, if I’m honest with myself, deep down, I knew she’s had a crush on you forever.”
My eyebrows rise. “Really?”
“Yes. I figured it was a silly girl thing, but you’re right, she’s a grown woman and she chose you.”
“Hearing you say that means a lot.”
He purses his lips and nods.
We nurse our drinks in silence.
He polishes off his drink and drops the tumbler on the table, and the sound of the glass against the wood echoes through the quiet of the living room.
“I need to go apologize to her, but I need to find her first,” Noah says, standing up. “It’s like I need a map to navigate through your big ass mansion, Hartford. You never gave me a tour earlier. Now’s the time. That way I won’t get lost.”
I laugh. “You’re on.”