Page 62 of Rival Hearts

I ran my hand up Trent’s arm and cupped his cheek. “He’s here and he wants to make things right. He’s not the same guy he was. He’s figuring himself out.”

“That’s not what it looked like when I walked in here.”

“You worry about you, and I’ll worry about me. Unless there’s something you’re not telling me, something you’ve never told me, the only relationship you need to worry about is yours with Grady. You don’t need to take care of me. I grew up.”

He chuckled and took my hand between his. His gaze searched my face. I hoped I was showing him whatever he needed to see.

“I’ll tell him.”

“When?” I crossed my arms. Would Grady blame me for what had happened with Trent? Probably not. But a part of me still blamed myself. What I’d said to Trent was true. Choiceshad consequences. Sometimes those were unexpected. I hoped telling Grady didn’t blow up in our faces.

“Tonight. I’ll tell him tonight.” He gave me a half smile. “That’ll make you happy?”

A small laugh escaped. “Who knows? But I think it’s time we found out.”

Chapter Twenty-Four

Grady

Irubbed my eyes with the heels of my hands and then flipped the pencil around, using the eraser to rub out the final six notes. Placing my fingers on the keyboard, I played the last third of the song another time, trying to figure out exactly how I wanted it to close.

Hopeful.

I wanted the song to sound hopeful, but I kept ending on notes which were desperate. With a snap of my wrist, I threw the pencil across the room, and I squeezed the sides of my head in frustration. What was wrong?

I couldn’t concentrate. Every time I tried to get the ending notes right, my mind veered to Trent and Maggie. What had they talked about after I’d left? Would Trent ever speak to me again? I hadn’t been able to keep my promise to him. My feelings for Maggie were too big, too hard to control. I should never have agreed to stay away from her.

Hite and Zeus whined and stirred off their beds in the front hallway. My phone rested beside me, and I checked the time. Just before midnight. Wasn’t too late for a walk, but I wasn’tsure getting out would clear my head. Talking to either Maggie or Trent might help, but it also might tip the scales in a direction I didn’t like. I wanted to make things right with Trent. I wanted to be with Maggie. Could I do both? Was either of them possible?

A sharp knock sounded on the door, and the dogs circled in excitement. They rarely barked when I was home, but I’d heard from the neighbors that wasn’t the case when I was away. Pushing back the ergonomic chair I used when I was digging into a song, I crossed to the front door with a frown. With one eye pressed to the peephole and the dogs on either side, I couldn’t decide if I was relieved or surprised.

I opened the door. “Trent. It’s late.”

“I had to have a few drinks before I showed up. Then I had to fucking walk from the restaurant downtown. I don’t want to be here, but I promised her I’d come.”

“Come in.” I ushered him into the living room with the assortment of mismatched chairs.

Trent stood in the entryway of the room and looked around, his gaze finally landing on me. “What a fucking dump. Has Maggie been here? She hasn’t dropped off some paint and scrub brushes? A matching couch and chair?”

A smile threatened at how accurately he knew her. “That sounds about right. But no, she hasn’t done any of that yet.”

We stood across from each other with our hands in our pockets. The awkwardness was overwhelming. How had we grown this far apart? There’d been a time when Trent would have shown up with a six-pack and a heap of stories about women he knew, things he’d done, notches he’d made on his bedpost. We would have laughed and joked around. Equal in our debauchery.

Before Maggie.

Part of the reason we had drifted apart was because of how I had felt about her. At first my desire for her had been bearable,but by the time we kissed, by the time Trent was arrested, I’d been bordering on an obsession. Having Trent talk about her, hearing about her as a conquest, had been something I couldn’t handle. How could I have admitted my fixation with Maggie to Trent? As far as I’d known, she was Trent’s girlfriend.

“Are we doing this or what?” Trent gestured to the chairs.

“I’ll start.” I didn’t bother to sit while Trent sank into the recliner in the corner. “I know I got things wrong about you and Maggie even if I don’t know exactly how wrong.” I scratched the back of my head. “But I think I owe you an explanation for my distance, for being a shitty fucking brother the last six years.”

“Ten years.”

I took a deep breath. “Ten years.”

“All right, I’m listening.” He eased back into the recliner, skepticism burning bright.

Summoning my courage, I said, “I’m the one who let Dan into the house. I’m the reason he got so much evidence on you.”

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