Page 74 of Nothing to No One

“This supposed to console our new friend?”

“I’m commiserating, validating her feelings. Saying it’s okay to feel the way she feels.”

“Thank you,” Bambi said, looking into her glass without any interest in tasting the liquid within. “What makes it harder is…”

Roxie leaned forward and, on instinct, Zairn’s arm strengthened to give her counterbalance when she touched Bambi’s face. “You never have to worry about saying anything in front of us, Bambi. We will always keep your secrets.”

From the world or from Struan? Wasn’t a plethora of trustworthy and sympathetic ears around. May as well take the risk, who else did she have to talk to?

She exhaled. “I don’t know much about your relationship, but being two single people, you at least had the prospect of being together. How are Struan and I ever supposed to consider doing this for real?”

“You can give it a shot.”

“How? It’s not possible. It’s not just that I can’t be with a man I care about, it’s that I’m with his brother and they live in the public eye. Yes, you were right, there’s no exit strategy, not one I know. Even if there was, it would separate me from Roman. Great. Fine. That can’t happen fast enough.”

“But it separates you from Struan too.” In understanding, Roxie sank back against her lover. “Have you talked about it?”

She shook her head. “I know it’s not real. We all know it’s not real, but what kind of woman moves from one brother to the next? I don’t want Struan painted as the bad guy, I don’t want any of us hounded by the press, but I also can’t trust Roman to support us or tell any version of the truth other than one that paints him in the—”

“Best possible light?” Roxie said. “Imagine all those victim points. ‘My brother stole my fiancée.’ He’d be golden.”

“In the public eye,” Zairn said, proving he was listening.

He sipped from his glass, then rested his lips in his woman’s hair. The couple touched, they felt, their physicalityappeared natural. Impulse brought them closer. Each could read the others form and provide exactly what was needed. If she didn’t already envy them their ability to be together, public and proud, she envied the security they had in each other.

“I’m no fan of Roman Lowe,” Zairn continued. “If I got a say, I wouldn’t have Roxie within a hundred city blocks of him.”

“You get a say.” Roxie pushed back a little against his mouth. “I just don’t always listen.”

“I can’t blow smoke up your ass, Bambi, and imply that it’s going to be okay and love will overcome the odds. Because you and Struan together could be the worst thing to happen to the Lowe family, to the industry, in quite a while.”

“You haven’t seen them together.” Roxie laid her forearm on his to press her palm to his knuckles and squeezed tight; they oozed chemistry. “Who the hell do you think you are to say someone else can’t fight to have what they want, Skippy? You did. How did that work out for you? Huh?”

“Don’t get snippy with me. I am not diminishing what they have, I haven’t seen it, I don’t know. This is a warning from a friend, from a well-intentioned place. Think less about what this will do to Roman’s career and more of what it will do to Struan if his brother loses everything.”

“If Struan left his brother—”

“He loves his job.”

“How could he keep it when the truth comes out? Even if they could hire another stunt coordinator, would anyone else put up with Roman’s bs for more than five minutes?”

Not many folks, that’s for sure. Maybe Magnus would help him hold it together if the brothers were forced apart.

“He’s lost Sway and has been looking for an excuse to return to the crutch that got him in trouble in the first place.”

Losing Sway, his brother, his job… would that send him back to his addiction?

“You can’t put that on her.” Roxie was quick to defend, as was always her way. “That’s not Bambi’s decision or Struan’s. Don’t make them accountable for Roman’s bad choices. Tripp and I were just telling her last night how Struan never listens when we point out how little respect his brother shows. Struan doesn’t need you dumping on him too.”

“I don’t disagree with you,” Zairn said, composed as he sipped from his glass. “I’m just saying it’s not necessarily going to be a bump-free fairy tale ending. You both have to decide how much you want this, what you’re willing to sacrifice. Being together is an option, Bambi. It’s always an option. There’s nothing I wouldn’t give up for Roxanna, and that’s my choice. No relationship or job is worth more to me than she is.”

Sacrifice? Like it or not, the guilt would burden Struan. He always took responsibility for his brother’s mistakes.

“We’ll support you,” Roxie said, pushing her shoulders back. “If you want to do this, if you want to leave, throw down the gauntlet, issue the ultimatum—”

“Because that never causes problems in relationships,” Zairn said, smirking. “Maybe try open communication first?”

“Mr. Know It All. We don’t need you, Skippy,” Roxie said. “I’ll support Bambi without you.”

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