Page 60 of Modern Romance Collection March 2025 (1-4)

“Lynna. Buck up, now,” Maude said brusquely. “It isn’t like you to ignore the truth of a matter.”

But emotions weren’t truths. They were weapons. They upended everything. She couldn’t stand the thought of being upended again.

But aren’t you anyway?

No. Because she had her work and her family. And maybe everything about Athan made her feel turned inside out, but she wasn’tupended. She was a little frazzled, but not…

The doorbell to the office rang out loud in the silence.

“I’ll get it.” Irinka disappeared and Lynna tried to get her wits about her. She wasn’t going to think about love. She wasn’t going to beinterrogatedby her friends.

She knew what she’d promised herself, what needed to be done, and none of it could be derailed by something as stupid and pointless andpainfulas love.

Particularly loving an imperfect man.

When Irinka returned, she was not alone. But Lynna could only stare at the man next to her. How much older he somehow looked than the last time she’d seen him—only a few months ago. These teenage years seemed to go by in blinks while her brother turned into a man with every one.

There was always a pang of pain and pride at that, how quick the time stamped itself across her little brother. Who was no longer little and far too close to adulthood for her liking.

But not yet.

“Rhys. What are you doing here?” A horrible thought gripped her. “Is everything all right? Mother—”

“Mother is fine. Athan brought me.”

“Athan…” And then there he was. Standing behind Rhys. This man who’d upended her life. Upended hersoul. With her brother. But… “What’s happened to you?” she demanded of Athan, noting the faint smudge of a bruise on his jaw.

“A gift from your brother,” he offered.

Too many things jangled inside of her. She wanted to scold Rhys. Touch Athan’s bruise. Run far, far away. Again.

“Don’t worry,” Rhys said. “We made amends on the flight over.”

Amends.Amends.What the hell was Rhys thinking? What did Athan think he was doing? “You shouldn’t be here,” she said firmly to Athan. “I told you—”

“And I told you I love you. Which I have come to determine trumps everything you told me, since none of it was true.”

“Maybe we should go,” Auggie whispered, but Athan must have heard because his gaze flicked to her for only a second.

“No need. I do not mind an audience,” Athan said, all arrogance and certainty that had Lynna…off-kilter. Panicked.

When she never panicked. She was in charge.Shedecided.

But Athan kept talking. “In fact, I think with someone as stubborn as Lynna, I should need it. So when she inevitably changes her mind—”

“I am notstubborn. No more so than—”

“—she will have people to remind her what happened here.”

“Nothing is happening here,” she snapped, panic and something she didn’t want to analyze having a battle in her chest. “My brother has taken a leave of his senses, and we shall put them to rights. Athan, you may go. Rhys—”

“May I?” he returned silkily.

She ignored him and focused on Rhys. Who should beat school in Greece. “I don’t know what you’re thinking making some kind of pact with the devil—”

“Youmarried him, Lynna,” Rhys said with a shrug that was too much like Athan. “What does that say about your decision-making?”

She whirled on Athan, feeling more and more like she was losing a grip on something. Something she needed. “You have gone and turned my brother against me as if that will somehow get you whatever it is you want? It won’t.”

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