“There’s nothing now.” I looked down at our feet.

He flinched. “You said you loved me.”

I smiled as I looked up and shook my head at him. “I loved a liar. Doesn’t that make our love a lie?”

He shook his head rapidly. “No, I showed you the real me and you loved me. Gabriella was a minor detail in my past. It doesn’t change anything that happened between us.”

“What about my parents? Were they minor details too? You’ve been hurting me for years without me even knowing it. Seems like it’s what you live to do. Your past keeps coming back to hurt me, Xander.”

He took a step back and looked at me like I’d slapped him with my comment. He dug both hands in his pockets and looked down at the pavement. He looked almost vulnerable because of my dig, but I couldn’t be concerned with his feelings at that point. Not when he tore out my heart twice and I was still trying to get it to function.

The door behind us swung open and Matt stepped out. He paused, looking back and forth between Xander and me. He came up behind me, put a hand on my waist, and whispered into my ear, “Everything okay?”

Xander glared at him, his injured expression quickly morphing into one of stormy rage. Matt eyed him.

“If you touched her—”

“You’ll what?” Matt challenged, his hold on my waist tightening.

Xander stepped forward, and I blocked him. “Go home, Xander.”

“Come back when you’re man enough to be honest with her,” Matt threw in.

Fuck, this wasn’t like Matt at all. He was the logical one, and this was a revenge tactic I didn’t want to use. I just wanted Xander to go away and let me process everything without him smothering me, or Matt’s alcohol blurring the edges.

Xander removed his hands from his pockets. His fists were clenched, gaze narrowed in on Matt. I knew if I weren’t between them, there would be a full-on street brawl.

“Xander.” His gaze shifted to me, but his stance remained in attack mode. “Don’t make this worse.”

He looked at Matt one last time before he took a deep breath and walked off. We stood there watching him until he pulled his car onto the road and cut the corner furiously.

“That guy is miserable,” Matt said.

I elbowed him in the gut. He grunted.

“Who cares? You’re on my side, right?”

He chuckled. “Sure, but how long before you take him back?”

“Never.”

“Uh-huh… sure.” He hooked an arm around my neck and walked me to my car. “I give you a week.”

“Asshole.” I glanced over at him.

“Why? Because I know your heart?”

“Fuck you, Matt.”

“Don’t blame me because love got its dark hold on your heart.” he said as we stopped in front of my car.

Yeah… and it came with a gray cloud hanging over my head. And like the divine intervention I spoke of earlier, thunder cracked and the sky opened up and cried its tears on me.

*~*~*

Later that day, I walked into my office to find Ellie waiting on me.

It ’s the day that keeps giving.

I stilled at the doorway, and she stood. I’d been relieved to find the house empty when I stopped at home. I wasn’t ready to talk to Ellie. Her collusion with Xander devastated me.

“Do you have a minute?” she asked warily.

“No, I don’t.” I continued to my desk, dropping my briefcase on top and opening it.

“Avery, I just want to explain.” She followed, standing on the opposite side of my desk.

“I need to work and listen to other people’s problems.” I sat down and Ellie did the same.

“And ignore your own?”

“I’m not ignoring them. I’ve decided the best course of action is to not think about it at all. You lied to me for God knows how long about stripping, and then you let me carry on with a man you’d already been with.”

I stood and tried to make my way to the door to let her out, but she grabbed my arm and stopped my progress as I tried to walk past her. I glanced at her hand on my arm, and she let go promptly.

She stood up and faced me. “I’m sorry, okay? You seemed to really like him and I wanted you to be happy.”

“Do you know how fucked up that sounds? You were willing to let me be with a man you… fucked because you thought it made me happy.” Just saying the words made me feel ill.

“You loved him.”

“You know what? Fuck him. How about you tell me why you’ve become a stripper?”

She sighed and sat back down in the chair. “I was tired of being a burden to you. I promise you all I ever did was strip there. Xander was a mistake. He was rich and handsome, and I wanted him. But I realized he was cold, arrogant, and had issues, so I sent him to you.”

“I don’t want to hear this.” I couldn’t listen to her, because the flashes of them together began to emanate in my mind’s eye.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t send you into the lion’s den. I sent him to you. But even the lion has a heart, and I think he loves you, Avery.”

Un-fucking-believable. Was everybody on Xander’s side?

“You think I should be grateful because Xander loves me? Well, he was never in my plans. He’s an obsessive deceiver, and his insomnia is so severe I don’t think his brain functions correctly anymore. But I can’t stop thinking about him and wanting him. So yeah, you inserted Xander into my life. And he’s rich and successful and can fuck like a maniac, but he’s not what I wanted. Now I need him. I was going down a straight road, and now I’ve veered off to the left. I’m headed for disaster, and I can’t even stop myself. So what exactly have I won? His love?”

“I’m really sorry, Avery. I know you’re angry—”

“I’m not angry. I’m disappointed and hurt. When I turned eighteen and left you in that home, I came back every weekend for five years and made sure you were okay. I worked my ass off to finish school early so I’d be able to make a home for you when you turned eighteen. I’ve carried you on my back for so many years, Ellie, that I feel empty without you. You’re more than a friend to me. You’re my sister, you’re like a daughter to me, and I’d do anything for you.”

She looked away, tears rolling down her face as she quietly sobbed. Tears weren’t a luxury I afforded myself, and I couldn’t bring myself to feel sorry for her. Not now. Not after what she’d done. “Are we done here?”

She looked up at me and stood. “I don’t want to lose you.”

I grabbed her chin and our gazes locked. “You’re the only family I’ve got, so despite what you did, we’ll always be family. I just can’t stand to look at you right now. So were done here.” I dropped my hand and turned away. “Don’t call me. I’ll call you… when I’m ready.” I settled behind my desk as she quietly made her way to the door and shut it behind her.

Who Are You?

Xander

After a week of not seeing Avery, I knew I had to face the truth.

What was left of our relationship was flimsy at best—hanging on by its last string. But that last string was strong enough that I’d bet everything I had on it holding firm. Because although I’d cut the trust string and sawed away at the honesty one, that last string was love. And no matter how bad I’d fucked up everything else, that string was the most important, and it was going to bind us together.

I decided to show up at Avery’s office at lunchtime to see if she’d give me a few minutes, but Angela told me she was out. I didn’t know if she was lying or not, so I hung around outside, hoping to catch her returning.

When I finally caught sight of Avery strolling up the street, she wasn’t alone. If she would’ve gone to lunch with Matt, I wouldn’t have been surprised, because though I didn’t know what happened between them, I knew they’d always be close.

I was completely shell-shocked when I saw her walking with Ian. And laughing like everything in the world was fucking amazing. Seeing her with him made me sick with jealousy. From my spot across the street, I watched as they stopped in front of her office, and Ian embraced her in a long hug that lasted way too fucking long. Actually, I would’ve considered half a second too long. Now that we were on rocky ground, this thing with Ian made me more than a little anxious.