“Listen, I…” I tried desperately to get a word between the two men.
“I’m going to knock your fucking teeth out,” Adam growled.
“You’re insane. I’m calling TMZ.”
“Call the pope for all I care. I’m not letting you harass her. Not after what you put her through.”
I did the only thing I could. I jumped between them.
“Enough,” I growled. “You’re not even talking about the same thing. Adam, your place in my life is secure. Chris is not trying to win me back. Chris, your secret is safe with me. I have no interest in ruining your life, but just so you know, you’re going to live a miserable existence being someone’s sidepiece. Especially under the current conditions. You’re obviously in love, and not with me. You’re bound to get hurt. A lot. Think about it.”
Chris faltered.
Adam shot Chris a confused look, then shook his head very slowly. “Oh,” he said. “Oh shit.”
Oh shit? What did he mean?
“You’re Chris Fairfield.”
Chris blinked, frowning at him. “How’d you figure that out?”
“Everyone knows you’re having an affair with Johnny Grady. He’s been flaunting it behind your back ever since I can remember. He was frequenting VIP nightclubs back when I was starting out, trying to pick up dudes. His go-to explanation was that he wasn’t afraid to be thrown out of the closet because he had an arrangement with his guitarist. He mentioned you by name. Often. I remember thinking it was weird that he did that, but figured you didn’t give a shit. That you got yourself a sugar daddy of sorts. I didn’t make the connection when Nik told me she broke up with her boyfriend, Chris, who was a musician. But now…” Adam trailed off, shaking his head. “Shit, man.”
“He tells people?” Chris’ voice shook, and despite everything, my heart went to him. Betrayal felt bitter and raw, no matter to whom it was directed. Chris stumbled backwards, his back hitting the opposite wall.
“He told me…he said…” He cupped his mouth, his eyes growing wide.
I shook my head. “I’m sorry,” I mouthed. I was sorry for both of us, really. Because if everyone knew that Chris was having an affair with Johnny Grady, they also knew I was his beard. Now, I’d thought Chris and I were the real deal. We had sex pretty often. At least three times a week when he wasn’t touring. But others didn’t.
“I’m sorry, Nika. So, so sorry. For everything. But especially for not being the man you deserve. I will sort it out for myself. And you know what?” Chris smiled. “Fuck him. Tell whoever you want. I will be. I’ll deal with the shame. I’m bringing this asshole down.”
He turned around and stormed off. My head fell backwards, and I sighed. The sheer adrenaline crash of jumping between two relationships so soon slammed into me again.
Adam closed the door, gathering me into his arms, kissing my neck, gluing me back together.
“Don’t beat yourself up about it, okay? You couldn’t have known,” he said. “Love is notoriously blind.”
“Weird thing is, I don’t think I was even in love with Chris.” I snorted into his chest. “I was just in love with the idea of forgetting Adam.”
“Well, that’s no longer necessary.”
An hour later, after Adam and I had reunited in the biblical sense and he’d had a shower, he retired to his bedroom while I worked in the living room with Betsy by my side. There was another knock on the door. I frowned at the British Blue.
“Today is just full of surprises, huh?”
I opened the door, and the minute I saw his face, I all but lost gravity.
Val.
“Where’s the fucker?” My brother shouldered his way inside. I closed the door behind him, scrambling to keep up with his pace. I didn’t have time to warn Adam about my conversation with Val. I was hoping to do it when he woke up.
“Val, what are you doing here?”
“Trying to figure out why every time I test you and Adam, you fail me. I told him I’m not okay with you being together. I told him a thousand times. Even when he begged me for permission to talk to you when he moved to L.A.”
He did that?
Val darted straight to Adam’s room. I followed him. He threw the door open.
“Hey, traitor.”
Adam was half-awake, perched on his side of the bed, scrolling through his phone. “Asshole. How can I help?” he asked nonchalantly.
“You can start by not putting your dirty hands on my sister.”
“Well,” Adam stood up, clad in nothing but his gray sweatpants, “anything other than that. I’m pretty attached to her.”
Val didn’t waste any time. He pushed Adam by the chest.
“You’re a shit best friend.”
“No.” Adam pushed him back, his face clouding with anger. “I’m the best fucking friend. I spent eleven years pining for a girl I loved just because your ass wasn’t ready to come to terms with the fact your sister and best friend were in love.”
“Ha.” Val threw his head back, laughing. “Love? You just wanted to get into her pants. Same as you did with the rest of the school.”
“You idiot.” Adam bared his teeth. “Every single girl I paid attention to since I was sixteen was to keep your ass pacified! I never wanted any of them. That’s why I never kept them.”
“Why should I believe you?” Val pushed Adam again. This time, Adam grabbed Val’s shirt, backing him all the way to the opposite wall until he slammed into it. I shrieked in horror as my boyfriend got into my brother’s face.
“Because it’s the goddamn truth! I’ve been hating your ass for years for putting me through this. When you called me about Nik needing a place to stay, I thought it was your olive branch. My goddamn green light. I thought you finally fucking realized you were wrong to keep us apart. Not some fucking test!”
Adam threw a punch in Val’s face. It wasn’t a solid one, but enough to send Val’s face crashing against
