Chapter 20
Twenty
NOAH
“My ass is in recovery.” The reminder doesn’t sway Bud. His tail wags as he stands in front of the door, ready for his evening walk despite the drizzling rain.
Too bad Summer had to work. She’s been going above and beyond to help me out around here. Feeding the animals, taking Bud for walks, putting fresh bandages on my healing ass cheek. She’s even been bringing me soup and crackers like I’m a flu patient. All without being asked to do any of it.
It’d be much more convenient if she lived here and didn’t have to travel back and forth between my place and her apartment, but it might be a little too early to ask her to move in with me. I’m trying to convince her to stick around, not chase her off.
Still, the image of Summer covered in ink on my bed—our bed—with paper sprawled around her, hair wild, as she grins up at me is enough to make me want to call her up right now with the invitation.
She’d be so happy getting to work on her art full-time, to go for walks with me and the dogs in the middle of the day, to spend her evenings getting chased by a masked man, to gorge on whatever feast my parents’ cooked up for Sunday family dinner, assuming Vee and Carson don’t show up.
All I want is for her to be happy. Pretty sure I’ve never cared about anything else more.
Someday, it’ll happen. As long as I don’t screw this up.
I navigate to Summer’s art account on social media.
When I find her rates, I send her an email from a burner account requesting multiple illustrated scenes from a few of the books on her shelf.
Putting the inheritance from my grandparents to good use.
Luckily, Summer flagged her favorite scenes with tabs, almost like she knew someday I’d need a trail of breadcrumbs to follow.
When Bud gives a pathetic whine, I heave a sigh and climb off the couch. Pretty sure that cushion is going to have a permanent indentation of the uninjured ass cheek I’ve been putting all of my weight on. “All right, Bud. Let’s go.”
As soon as I’ve got Bud’s leash on him and we’re heading out the door, a familiar car parks in my driveway.
“Really? Not even a bark? You’re not much of a guard dog, are you?”
Bud’s tail doesn’t stop wagging.
From the driver’s side door, Vee emerges in a dress and heels like she’s on her way to the club. “If you’re here to invite me to the bar with you and Carson, I’m going to have to pass. Even free alcohol isn’t enough to get me to hang out with that guy.”
Vee rolls her eyes. “I’m not. I’m . . . joining you.” She gestures to Bud with an awkward hand, reaching out halfway like she might pet him before retreating.
She’s a cat person.
“On a walk? In the rain? In heels?”
“Yes.” Chin lifted, she leads the way down the sidewalk.
Something is definitely up, but Vee doesn’t divulge any information until she’s ready. No point in pressing her about it in the meantime. “All right then.”
Bud wags his tail, occasionally bumping his head into Vee’s hand for pets as he trots between us.
Vee refuses to admit that walking in heels in the rain is uncomfortable, even as her hair plasters to her face and she shivers. Tension hangs over us like the clouds in the dark sky above our heads until Vee finally blurts, “What is that?”
“What is what?”
“Around your neck.” She catches it before I can answer, practically choking me with the chain. “Is this a . . . bullet?”
“No. It’s the bullet.”
She stares at me like she’s trying to decipher the new language I just made up. Then her jaw drops. “The bullet that was shot at your ass, like, two weeks ago?”
“The one and only.”
“That’s literal obsession, Noah. You need to pump the brakes on this.” She heaves a sigh. “Do you really believe you can trust Summer?”
“Yes.” I rub Bud’s head, already eager to turn around and avoid this conversation. “Is that what you came all the way here to talk about?”
I was secretly hoping she’d confess to breaking up with Carson. Now that would be news worth celebrating with a drink.
“I don’t think you should trust her.” My sister bites her lip, holding back from blurting out the rest.
“What is it now, Vee?”
She feigns innocence. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You came here to tell me something. Just say it.”
“Fine.” She folds her arms, rain dripping from her bangs. “Summer was on a date with another man.”
Shit. Panic bubbles in my gut. Vee must’ve spotted Summer while she was on one of her Plus One dates.
How the hell am I supposed to explain this? Don’t worry, she was paid to be there. Is she paid to be with me? No, of course not. She was, but not anymore, at least—
“I confronted her, and she denied it, obviously.” Vee rolls her eyes. “She said he was an old friend, but it was clearly a lie. The guilt was written all over her lying, cheating face.”
My own guilt gnaws at me that I need to keep up the ruse. Vee really is just trying to be a good sister and look out for me. If I saw Carson at the bar with another woman, I’d call Vee right then and there to let her know. “If she says he’s an old friend, I believe her.”
Vee gapes at me. “You’re not serious, Noah. You can’t be that dense. I saw her at the bar with another man. How much more proof could you need?”
“Were they making out? Going at it on the bar?”
Her lip curls in disgust. “Ew. No, they weren’t.”
“Then I trust her.”
“At least look through her phone. I’m telling you, if you take five seconds to look, you’ll find plenty of proof.”
“How do you know? Have you gone through her phone?”
“If I could get my hands on it, I would. I can if you want me to.” Her eyes light up, the scheme forming in her head. “Invite her over here. I’ll hide in your room, you figure out a way to swipe her phone, and we’ll come up with some kind of signal—”
“Vee.” I hold up my hand. “If you don’t have trust in a relationship, you don’t have anything, so I’m not going through Summer’s phone. She’s not cheating on me. Thanks for looking out for me, but Summer isn’t the girl you think she is.”
Bud tugs on the leash and we keep walking while Vee’s heels clatter on the sidewalk to keep up with us.
“Why don’t you ever listen to me?” she huffs, all of the patience gone from her voice now. “You know I’m just looking out for you.”
“I could ask you the same thing. Why are you going through with the wedding? Carson’s a dick. He’s not good enough for you. I’ve told you that, Killian’s told you that, Mom and Dad have told you that, I’m sure Aries has told you that a dozen times—”
Vee cuts in front of me, and Bud huffs a sigh, flopping in the soppy grass along the sidewalk. Guess he’s getting a bath tonight.
“Who else is going to put up with me, Noah? You know how I am.” When she averts her gaze, I can’t tell if those are tears or rain.
“I’m the controlling bitch who can’t let someone put the peanut butter in the wrong spot in the pantry.
I’m the asshole sister who can’t let her brother just be happy with his new girlfriend because I always have to see the worst in people. ”
My sister is a . . . perfectionist. She has high standards, and she wants everything done the right way—her way.
But she’s also fiercely loyal, protective, caring, even if you have to break down her walls with a battering ram to get her to show that side.
I don’t know who made her believe all of these shitty things about herself, but I have a feeling his name is Carson and I’d love to play darts with his face. “You’re not a—”
“Carson is an ass, but he puts up with me.” Vee wraps her arms around her shivering torso, refusing to look me in the eye. “And I don’t want to be alone forever.”
“That’s a terrible reason to marry someone, Vee.”
But she’s already rushing back to her car.