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  “What?”

  “Jesus Christ, would you shut the hell up!” Dash hisses, anxiety finding his features for the first time since he arrived. “You aren’t helping shit right now!”

  “No, you know what? I think both of you need to start doing the exact opposite and be fucking straight with me for once,” Mason insists, his chest still heaving when we both turn to face him. “Now answer my question. How long have you two been lying to me? Just since you got back home, Evie? Or has it been since she visited a few weeks ago, bro?” he asks as he glares at both of us, his eyebrows raising when we say nothing. “Longer than that?”

  “Yes,” I whisper, Dash holding Mason’s eyes as he gives him a truthful nod.

  “How long?” he asks, staring daggers into Dash. “Evie, tell me.”

  “Mason, it doesn’t matter…”

  “You’re damn right, it matters!” he shouts, making me jump slightly.

  “Dude, don’t,” Dash shakes his head. “I know you’re pissed, but don’t yell at-”

  “Fuck you,” he grounds out, cutting him off before taking a step closer to him. “You’ve been talking shit to my sister for years. You don’t get to tell me shit about how to talk to her.”

  “Fair enough. Go ahead,” Dash shrugs, taking his own step forward, edging me out. “Snap at her one more time and we’ll see how that works out for you.”

  “Guys…”

  “Alright, Prince Charming,” Mason says with a sarcastic smirk. “You have a lot to say, so why don’t you start talking?”

  “Mason…” I try once more, but he cuts me off again.

  “Dash, how long have you been fucking my sis-”

  “It started in Dallas,” Dash cuts him off this time. “The night we got stuck at the airport when we flew to meet you at the cabin.”

  “The cabin? What cab-?” Mason asks, confused for a moment before he realizes what Dash means. When it finally clicks, his eyes go wide and I’m so sure he’s about to swing on him again, I duck behind Dash. “The cabin from Christmas? You’ve been lying to me for four fucking months?” His gaze is furious as his chest heaves in anger at the betrayal in front of him before his eyes shift to mine, his voice calmer despite the disapproval still vibrating from his chest. “Is he the reason you didn’t want to sign the contract for the job in New York?”

  “It’s isn’t important right now.”

  “It is, Eve,” he disagrees. “Answer me. And this time, don’t you dare lie.”

  I swallow hard, the admission being one I’d never spoken to anyone else, not even myself, aloud. Every time it had come up, I’d played it off. I’d even told myself the same line for so long, I’d almost began to believe it, but deep down, I know better.

  I just haven’t had the courage to say it.

  Not to Dash, not to anyone.

  “Don’t be stupid, Mason. Evie wouldn’t throw away a job for me. She’s too smart for that shit,” Dash interrupts my thoughts, his words making my stomach drop. “Baby, tell him.”

  When I remain silent, I feel him glance over his shoulder, their gazes falling on me. Dash is willing me to say the words he thinks I will, but they get stuck in my throat.

  “Babe…”

  “I can’t,” I cut him off, my voice barely a whisper.

  “Why not?” Mason asks, holding my eyes as he squares his shoulders, seeming to prepare himself for the words he knows are coming.

  “Because,” I manage, avoiding Dash’s eyes while I take in the disappointment in Mason’s. “You asked me not to lie.”

  “Son of a bitch…” Mason sighs, shaking his head.

  “I never told anyone else, but yes, Mason,” I say low. “He’s part of the reason I still haven’t taken the job in New York.”

  The room fills with a thick silence, my chest clenching with emotion as their warring emotions wash over me.

  “Evie,” Dash starts, turning to face me. “Baby, you can’t-”

  “Are you in love with him?” Mason cuts him off, his voice quiet.

  “Yes,” I admit as I hold his eyes. “Yes, Mason, I am.”

  He stares at me, swallowing hard in thought before releasing a long sigh and slowly nodding his head, my relief building.

  “Okay, Eve,” he says quietly, raking his palm over his jaw before he releases a low, deep breath toward the floor. “Okay,” he sighs, glancing up to find my teary eyes. “You know I love you, don’t you? You know there isn’t a fucking thing in the world I wouldn’t do for you, right? You and mom? You mean everything to me. You know that, don’t you?”

  “Yes,” I whisper, swallowing hard, leaning into his palm when he places it gently on my cheek. “Of course, I do, Mase.”

  “Good,” he says, forcing a smile, pulling me close enough to kiss my forehead.

  He studies me, his eyes sad and resigned, but soft for a long moment before he clears his throat and faces Dash, his gaze suddenly cold once more.

  “Get out.”

  “What?” I ask, my mouth gaping. “Mason, he didn’t kn...”

  “I don’t care,” he shakes his head, moving toward the door and pulling it open furiously. “Get the fuck out of my house, Dash.”

  chapter eleven

  dash

  I’d known from day one, from the very moment I woke up in that hotel room next to Evie that if Mason ever found out about us, this was a possibility.

  Scratch that.

  I knew it was most likely a guarantee.

  As the door swings open behind me, though, it doesn’t make it sting any less.

  “Mason!” Evie spins around, his name slipping through her lips like an expletive, her voice holding a combination of fury and shock. “That’s enough!”

  “You’re right, Evie!” he replies, just as angry. “It is enough.”

  “Stop-” she starts. I gently grip her hand in an attempt to gain her attention, but she pulls away and moves to stand in front of him. “You can’t be serious,” she insists. “Mason, he’s your best friend and I am your sister.”

  “You’re right, Evie. He was my best friend,” he says, facing her as he squares his jaw, his words cutting through me. “And the only reason I’m giving him a chance to walk out without another ass whoopin’ is because you’re my sister and I love you,” he spits before clearing the distance and coming to a stop in front of me, pointing at her as he speaks. “You knew what would happen if you touched her. You’ve known from day one that Evie was off-limits.”

  We’d seen each other through a lot over the years. School, jobs, dating, my mother’s death, but he’s right. I knew if there was one thing our friendship wouldn’t survive, it would be Evie.

  Meeting his eyes, I say nothing, simply nodding my answer as I clear my throat.

  “I’m not going to tell you again,” he continues. “Get the fuck out of my house.”

  “Mason, please stop,” she says, her voice leaving her in a whimper as her eyes begin tearing with disbelief.

  “It’s okay, Evie,” I say quietly, squaring my shoulders before I take a step toward the door of the only home I’d known for most of my life. Her eyes are still wild with fury and heartbreak, but as I come to a stop beside her, I don’t miss the way her chest deflates in resignation. “He’s right. I knew the risk that came with you,” I admit, meeting her eyes as I trace her jawline with the pad of my thumb before quickly pressing my lips to her hair. “Totally worth it.”

  evie

  After some convincing, I finally got Dash to leave without me and headed back inside, promising to call him if I needed him to come back.

  As endearing as his concern is for my well-being is, I can’t help but feel even worse for him.

  Sure, I know he loves me. I also know there isn’t a piece of me that doesn’t love him right back, but the fact remains.

  Our newfound love has come at a price.

  Mason, as ridiculous as he’s acting, is the closest thing Dash has left to family. I knew he would be angry and even hurt that we’
d kept things from him for so long. I expected both of those, but never in a million years did I think his reaction would be so severe.

  I step back in through the front door and when I don’t find him downstairs, I make my way up to his room. The door is cracked, but I knock anyway, eager to try and find a way to calm him down.

  “What’s up?” he says quietly, taking a long pull from his beer as I push his door open.

  “Can we talk?”

  “I’d rather not,” he admits, rubbing his palm over his exhausted features. “You saw what happened the last time you asked me to talk.”

  “It didn’t have to be that way,” I offer, hating the shake of his head.

  “Yeah, it kind of did, Eve,” he argues, releasing a long sigh. “Listen, can we just… can we not keep doing this? It’s late, we’ve been arguing for hours and neither of us are budging. I’m exhausted and over this fuckin’ day.”

  “I understand,” I nod. “But you’re right. I’m not going to drop this.”

  His eyes meet mine and the softness that he’d shown me earlier was gone along with the anger. Now, all that’s left is disappointment.

  “You’re overreacting,” I start, rekindling that spark of anger.

  “Evie…”

  “Just hear me out,” I cut him off, watching him reach for the beer. “You want me to be happy, don’t you?” I ask, making his eyebrow arch as I sit in the chair across from him. “I get that you’re surprised and a little mad.”

  “More than a little.”

  “Okay, more than a little,” I sigh. “I get it, but at the end of the day, I’m still your sister. Mad as you are, he’s still your best friend,” he chuckles darkly. “You’re going to have to find a way to support this, Mason. At the very least, you have to accept it.”

  He says nothing for a long while, finishing his beer before tossing it into the trash and facing me once more.

  “I get what you’re saying,” he admits. “I know you’re trying to talk some sense into me, but the thing about that is you’re wrong, sis. I don’t have to accept or support any of this and I’m not going to.”

  “You don’t mean that.”

  “Yeah, honey, I really do,” he nods. “And I know you think it’s just because I’m crazy mad, but that’s not it, Evie. It’s not about the lies or the secrets. I could get over that, but…”

  “Then what is it?” I ask, making him shake his head.

  “It doesn’t matter.”

  “Bullshit, it doesn’t matter,” I challenge. “You’re willing to not only put a rift in our relationship over something that really is none of your business to begin with. You’re prepared to walk away from the one friend who has stood by you longer than anyone, leaving the guilt that will undoubtedly come from this ridiculous temper tantrum on my shoulders? You’re damn right it matters, Mason.”

  “It’s not a temper tantrum,” he sighs. “Why are you fighting for a guy like that, Evie?”

  “Because I love him,” I insist, holding his eyes. “And when you love someone, that’s what you do. You fight for them,” I continue. “I learned that from you. You taught me that,” I say, jabbing him in the chest. “So, yes, Mason. It matters.”

  He studies me again for a moment before releasing a sigh and shrugging in defeat.

  “Okay,” he sets his beer down, facing me fully. “This afternoon after you came home and you went to your room, I could tell some of the things I said had hurt you. And I meant everything I said, Evie. I still do, but I felt bad that you were hurt, so I stuck my head in to check on you and found you sleeping. Despite everything we’d gone through before you went into that room, you were peaceful,” he smiles soft. “It reminded me of how you slept when you were a kid, before Dad died, and I started thinking about him and you and mom and Dash and…” he shakes his head. “Evie, before I walked into that room to check on you, I was about two seconds away from going back up to the bar to have it out with Dash, but I didn’t. Instead, I stayed in here and really took some time to think. I tried to look at things from every angle, even yours. I tried to get beyond all of it,” he admits. “But I couldn’t stop thinking about how you used to sleep before Dad died.”

  “I don’t understand,” I admit, ignoring the twist in my stomach. “What does any of that have to do with Dash? I don’t see what the big deal is.”

  “It is a big deal,” he disagrees. “When dad was sick, he only asked me for one thing, Evie and that was to help take care of you,” he holds my eyes. “He asked me to protect you, make sure you had a good life no matter what.”

  “I do have a good life,” I insist as I study him, biting back my tears as I release a low sigh. “And Daddy would want me to be happy.”

  “Dad would want you to be taken care of and respected and loved unconditionally. And Dad would know that Dash isn’t the guy who can do that for you, Evie,” he argues, putting his hand up gently when I start to disagree. “Listen, I know you think I’m doing this out of anger and maybe it started that way, but I did exactly what you just said. Mad as I was when I came up here, I fought for Dash. I told you, I’ve thought about this a lot and his side of it was no exception,” he continues. “Regardless of the fact that he’s been lying to me, you’re right, Evie. Dash is my best friend and I love him. I really do and even though I’m pissed, I want to forgive him for this as easily as everything else,” he admits. “But facts are facts and I just can’t. It’s my job to protect you and to make sure you have the life you deserve, Evie,” he says. “Dash? He’s known that from the jump. I love him like he’s my brother, but you actually are my sister and he is not capable of giving you the life you deserve. I don’t care what it costs me, emotionally or otherwise. If I have to cut ties with him, ban him from this house to keep him away from you, so be it.”

  I swallow hard, swiping at my tears quickly before facing him again.

  “This won’t last, Mason,” I say, probably more for my own sanity than anything. “Even if you’re against us forever, you don’t have a choice. You’re going to have to come to terms with me and Dash. Mom’s never going to allow Dash to be banned from this house. She loves him, too. She’s not going to go along with this.”

  He glances up, his eyes slightly wide for a moment before they soften in understanding.

  “She didn’t tell you?”

  “What do you mean?” I swipe at my cheeks once more before facing him. “Didn’t tell me what?”

  “I guess you and Dash aren’t the only two who have been keeping secrets,” he sighs sadly, shaking his head.

  “Mason, what are you talking about?”

  “Mom’s retiring at the end of the year,” he says, no malice in his tone as my eyes narrow in confusion. “That’s part of the reason she went to Florida this week. I thought she would have mentioned it to you when she saw you the other day, but I guess she was planning to talk to you about it when she got back from her trip.”

  “I don’t understand,” I confess, something heavy churning in my chest although I can’t be sure what or why. “What does Mom retiring have to do with me and Dash?”

  “She’s moving to Florida. She got an offer on the house, but I convinced her to decline and sell it to me instead,” he says gently, still holding my eyes. “I’m sorry, Evie. If I have to hurt you to save you from making the biggest mistake of your life, I’m prepared to do it. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you. Even if it hurts us both, I’m going to keep my word to Dad. I’ll do whatever I have to do to protect you,” he promises. “Dash Hunter will never step foot back in this house.”

  dash

  It’s almost four in the morning and I still haven’t heard anything from Evie.

  I’d gotten up three times to go back over there, but stopped myself. I knew Mason and I would have our time to hash all this out, but right now they needed to talk.

  That didn’t mean I haven’t been going nuts.

  I tip back my beer, finishing the last of it before standing to move toward
the kitchen for another. I’m halfway across the living room when I hear a knock at my door.

  I take the two steps that separate me from the entry and pull the door open, the smell of rain filling my apartment as I take her in.

  “Hey, I was starting to get a little worried about you,” I say quietly, glancing toward the street where her cab is pulling away. “I thought you were going to call me when you were ready?” I find her eyes again, taking in her damp hair. “Are you okay?”

  She looks up at me and it’s not until then, when my porchlight shines on her cheeks, that I see her tears.

  “No,” she admits, shaking her head before gesturing toward her bag. “Can I stay with you for a few days?”

  “Evie,” I whisper, silently cursing her brother when I take in her devastation. I knew he’d be pissed at me, maybe even hurt by her, but I never saw this coming. “Baby, come here.”

  “I’m sorry to just show up on your doorstep like this,” she tries, swiping at her cheeks as her chest begins to heave with sobs. “I just… I didn’t know where else to…”

  “Shh,” I shake my head, pulling her close and swallowing the lump in my throat as she clings to me, her emotions overtaking her. “Don’t cry, princess,” I whisper, my voice grumbling with emotion of its own as I lift her into my arms, savoring in the feel of her relaxing slightly as her legs wind around my waist. “It’s okay, baby,” I promise, kissing her hair and reaching for her bag before carrying her over the threshold. “I’ve got you.”

  chapter twelve

  dash

  The next morning, I wake on my own for the first time in I’m not sure how long. The quiet in my apartment is something I’d prayed to wake to more times than I can count, but the reasoning behind it makes me release a low sigh of annoyance instead of relief.

  I glance over to find Evie still sleeping soundly beside me, her soft breaths calling to me, begging me to pull her closer. I resist, but just barely. The exhaustion is clear in her face, her eyes still puffy from crying after everything that happened with Mason the night before.

  God, he was such a dick to her.