Page 86 of Nothing to No One

Unfortunately, that wasn’t a future she could put off forever. Quicker than expected, the door opened again and Roman got in. His loose expression quickly became a scowl. She couldn’t bring herself to care, not that she didn’t care in a bitchy way, it would just be hypocritical to engage him like she didn’t feel exactly the same way toward him. Yes, she’d rather he was his brother and wouldn’t deny it.

Maybe that’s how Struan felt his whole life, that wherever he was, people would rather he be his high-profile brother. Anyone who knew the men’s personalities would have to prefer the stuntman to the superstar. Hands down.

They’d been driving a while before he opened his mouth. “You’re not going to say anything to me?” he asked with an expectation that put her on the spot.

“What would you like me to say?”

They both knew the truth and didn’t have to make this out to be anything other than it was while they were alone.

“We’re going to a premiere. This is a big deal for someone like you.”

“A mere mortal? A small-town girl? A simpleton? Can’t call me a bimbo, my rack isn’t big enough.” She resisted spitting in disgust. Just what did he think of her? Actually, she’d be surprised if he thought of her at all. “If this is for my benefit, we don’t have to go.”

Though she couldn’t believe he’d do something generous of his own free will.

“We need the pictures. It’s been too long.”

Ah, the ulterior motive. Too long since they’d showed up as a couple, or since he’d been at something like this? Wasn’t likely this was about their relationship at all. Good PR was what he needed, and showing up with her at least changed the conversation. Why was his name being whispered again? Oh, yeah, she remembered…

“I can’t help that you threw a fit at work the other day. That’s on you. Maybe keep your pistol holstered next time, quickdraw.”

The words came out and in the same beat, she couldn’t believe her own audacity. Hadn’t she already decided to sit quietly and let him be, rather than provoke him into any kind of mood?

“You don’t know anything,” he said. “You don’t know what happened.”

Was violence ever the answer? “You’re on the defensive. Tells me all I need to know.”

“Who do you think you are to talk to me like that?”

“Your fiancée,” she said and actually flashed a smile. “Hard as it is to believe I don’t wish bad things for you. I don’t know why you’re so angry or why you’re on this crusade of self-destruction. You mean something to people I care about, that means something to me.”

“Struan,” he said and shook his head, “you have no idea.”

Maybe she didn’t, but given his history of paying attention to others, or lack thereof, she wasn’t sure Roman was much more in the know.

“Why do you do it? Why do you push people?”

“Guy like me has to know who’s real and who’s not. If someone disrespects me, I disrespect them back.”

“Don’t you see that most of the time you’re the instigator. You’re hurting people before they can hurt you.”

“I don’t need you psychoanalyzing me.”

“Okay, then we can sit here quietly.”

And they did for another few minutes.

“Struan would do anything for me,” he said, apparently unable to contain himself. “Anything at all. I don’t even have to ask and he’s there at my back. He’s never fucked up like this before.”

“And that’s upset you? Are you upset that it wasn’t actually a fuck up at all? He just made a decision for himself for once. One time. You haven’t cut him any slack. We didn’t know we were being recorded, and he didn’t tell me who he was. He kept your secret, had your back. You have to see he loves you.”

“You don’t know anything about the pressure on me. The pressure I live with every day. Every person in our lives relies on me. And if I can’t rely on him—”

“You can. You can rely on him.”

“Yeah, and how is this going to play out? You going to stick around and marry me?”

There was a question with an obvious answer. For the first time, it came from the lips of the relevant party: her fiancé. How far would the ruse go? At what point would it end? And what would be left? Maybe Roman was more astute than they’d given him credit for. They’d all known this would have to come to some sort of climax, what would it look like?

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