Page 4 of Her Dirty Secret

I’ve been fed enough lines in my day to know an attempt to get in my pants when I hear one. Though I know that’s probably exactly what he’s doing, his words sound much more sincere than not. Or maybe I just find him that attractive. And it has been more than a year since he and Sera split. And she is engaged to my brother now. Would she really care if we had a fling? Though it’s Alessandro’s implication that’s more to the point — my brother would care. And that, unfortunately, is an issue. I wander down the hall, and he follows.

“No, I’m afraid he doesn’t,” I agree. “And I wouldn’t want to get you in trouble. I know Sera cares for you very much.”

A feline smile spreads across his lips as we settle onto a vacant love seat in the living room. “Yes, we will always care for each other,” he agrees. “And I’m glad to see her so happy. But still, I think I would happily face the giant to get to know you.”

A peal of laughter escapes me. “You call him ‘the giant’?” I ask, clapping in delight. “That’s the best thing I’ve heard all day.” It fits Bryce, to a T. He’s such a towering, glowering fuddy-duddy sometimes. Especially when he gets in protective mode, which is not infrequently, and I’m sure something Alessandro saw a lot of.

Alessandro stares at me intently, looking like he wants to reach out for my face.

“What?” I ask self-consciously. “Do I have something on me?” I wipe at my mouth, suddenly worried there might be cheese dip lingering from the appetizers I snuck earlier.

“No,” he replies lowly. “Forgive the cliché, but you’re mesmerizing.”

“Mhm,” I reply, pressing my lips together in a skeptical glare. “I’ve heard about you. The whole handsome and charming shtick isn’t going to work on me.”

Now it’s his turn to laugh unreservedly, and I can’t decide which I like better, the stoic and sexy face, or the amused and joyful one. Mesmerizing. It’s a good word, for him at least. I see why Sera was so hesitant about him in the beginning. He naturally just comes on strong. Luckily — or unluckily perhaps, for him — charisma doesn’t really sway me. Because I’m not looking for a prince to sweep me off my feet into happily ever after. All I care about is having fun. Charisma isn’t a requirement, though damned if he doesn’t seem like fun too. If only it wouldn’t give my brother the exact excuse he needed to do what I know he’s been itching to do for the better part of two years and end the guy.

“Well, this is a first,” he replies, still smiling.

“Oh? How’s that?” I ask, honestly curious.

He leans in, his mouth hovering near my ear. “It seems you have the upper hand,” he says softly. A shiver glides down my back. The accent, the heat emanating from him, his scent all prove him wrong. If he asked me to go upstairs right now, I’d be hard-pressed to refuse him. I fail to see how that gives me the upper hand.

“Mmmm,” I hum, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

The sound of tapping on a glass rips through whatever retort I was trying to form, and the room stills. Bryce stands on the other end, Sera at his side.

“Thank you, everyone, for coming,” he says. “Sera and I are touched that you were all able to make it on such short notice. You all know that I proposed to this beautiful woman two weeks ago, and she accepted.”

Cheers erupt, and a genuine smile crosses my face. I really am so happy for them. My brother holds up his hand to quiet the crowd.

“But you may not know I actually bought the ring a year ago.” He shares a loving look with Sera that brings tears to my eyes. “And though fate prevented me from giving it to her until now, I’ve loved her since the day I met her. And I’m the luckiest bastard on the planet because she loves me too.”

He pauses to kiss her, and something inside me rips. I suddenly feel like I need air. Unfortunately, he’s not done.

“But if we’ve learned anything through it all, it’s not to take for granted that there will be a tomorrow. So we promised each other that we would live each day with no regrets, without hesitation, without fear. Together. And because we didn’t want to waste one more minute without joining our lives, we were married yesterday by a justice of the peace.”

My gasp joins those around me. Including Alessandro’s. As my brother continues, I can’t help noticing Alessandro looks paler than he was. And I wonder if he’s really over Sera, even after all this time. It helps me to not focus on my reaction to their news, which, if I’m being honest, isn’t all good. It makes me uncomfortable in a way I don’t want to think too hard about. It’s nothing on them. They’re perfect. But then, my brother has always been the perfect child. Me, not so much. And their perfect love for each other is a small, needling reminder of that.

“And so, I’d like to introduce you all to my wife — Serafina Hoyt.” Bryce raises a glass, his eyes never leaving Sera. “Thank you, baby, for bringing me back and making me the happiest man alive. Never forget how much I love you.” He slips a wedding ring out of his pocket, making a show of putting it on. And they kiss again.

God, my brother is married. This is so weird. I tear my eyes from them, looking back at Alessandro. He’s still watching them with an inscrutable expression. I lay a hand on his arm.

“You okay?” I ask softly.

He turns to me, tears filling his eyes. “Yes,” he manages. “I know it may seem strange to you, but they’re tears of joy.” I look at him, confused, and he laughs. “Really. I love her, truly, so how can they be anything but?” He squeezes my hand and slips away, joining the forming line to congratulate them. I watch for a moment in shock.

He sounds nothing like the selfish bastard I expected him to be. Big ol’ flirt, absolutely. But there’s something about his reaction that was so heartfelt and sincere. Knowing I won’t be missed, that I can offer my congratulations later, I slip out the front door to absorb things alone. Sinking onto the steps, I stare up at the sky. Behind the bank of grey clouds, night has fallen. I breathe deeply of the cool air, letting it calm me.

It’s hard to say what unnerved me more: that Bryce and Sera went off and did the deed, or Alessandro’s selfless happiness for them. No, I know what is harder to come to terms with. To be fair, I only met the man myself tonight, but Sera confided in me at length over the end of their relationship. I was there to see what he did to her. Reconciling that with the man I saw crying for her happiness has shaken me.

I have to work to place my feelings. The closest I can get is that it gives me hope. That it’s never too late to be someone else. Or maybe, even the person you always wanted to be. If Alessandro can change, grow, and move forward, then anything is possible.

It makes me realize that everyone around me is moving forward with their lives, while I’ve been stuck in the same place for years. In the same rut of partying, drinking, dating in the same crowd I’ve always run in. The wishers, the wanters, the dreamers. I’m all of those things. But I also want to be a doer. It makes me realize that it’s time to start doing the things I’ve always hoped to do. To stop letting life derail me. Because if not now, when?

I rise and march back inside. And run smack into Alessandro.

“Scusa,” he gasps, grabbing me by the arms before I can topple over. I lean into the wall behind me to steady myself, and he lets go. But he doesn’t move away. Staring up into his eyes, I decide he’s one of the things I want to do. And I won’t let my brother derail me. It’s none of his business, and in any case, I never bring home any of the men I date anyway.

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