Page 28 of Stuck with my Brother's Firefighter Besties

“He blocked me on everything,” she continued, her voice barely above a whisper. “Disappeared like I never existed. Left me broke, humiliated, and… completely shattered.”

I took a slow, deep breath, trying to keep the storm inside me from spilling out. “Lila, that doesn’t make you stupid,” I told her honestly.

She laughed again, but it was more pain than humor. “Doesn’t it? I let him take everything from me. Not just my money, but my trust. My confidence. He made me feel like I wasn’t enough. Like I never will be.”

Anger boiled in my chest. “What an asshole.”

Her laughter sounded hollow. “Yeah. That’s one way to put it.”

“Did you report him?”

She nodded. “I tried. But he covered his tracks too well. He knew exactly what he was doing, Ryan. And the worst part? I still felt like it was my fault. Like I let it happen.”

“It wasn’t your fault,” I said, and it came out rough. “That guy was a manipulative piece of shit who took advantage of you. That’s on him, not you.”

Her eyes met mine, wide and a little vulnerable. “You really think so?”

“I know so,” I said firmly.

She studied me for a moment, her expression softening. “Thanks, Ryan. That means a lot.”

I nodded, keeping my focus on the road. But inside, the anger simmered. Not at her, but at Rick.

At the thought of someone treating her like that, tearing her down.

Just as the anger was about to consume me whole, Colt shifted in the backseat, mumbling something incoherent before going quiet again.

Lila looked over her shoulder, her expression amused. “He really can sleep through anything, huh?”

“Pretty much.”

Her gaze returned to me. “Thanks, Ryan. For listening. For… not judging.”

I swallowed hard, my throat dry. “Anytime.”

The rest of the drive passed in silence, but it wasn’t heavy. It felt like something had shifted between us.

By the time we reached the cabin, I knew one thing for sure.

I wasn’t going to let anyone hurt Lila like that again. Not if I could help it.

CHAPTERNINE

Lila

The cabin was biggerthan I expected, with wide timber beams and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking a snow-covered forest.

It looked exactly like the kind of place people came to for cozy getaways, complete with roaring fires and mugs of hot chocolate.

Exactly the kind of place I had no business being withthem.

I adjusted Biscuit’s leash, the little guy happily wagging his tail like he owned the place, completely unaware of the chaos brewing in my chest.

“All right,” Nate said, dumping a bag of groceries on the kitchen counter. “Looks like this one’s all set for you guys. I’ll be next door if you need anything.”

“Wait… what?” I blurted, my voice sharper than I intended.

Nate looked at me, already halfway out the door. “Yeah, this one’s for you, Jaxon, Colt, and Ryan. The rest of us are in the bigger cabin. I gave you my space in here, because at least you know these guys.”

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