Page 59 of Should've Been Us
“Doesn’t.” She cut her brother off, “He’s only ever told me the truth. Truths I didn’t want to hear. Truths I didn’t want to face but the truthnonetheless.”
“He’s a condescendingasshole!”
“No. He isn’t. He…” She bit her bottom lip and swallowed hard, “He’s only ever tried to take care of me he just, he didn’t go about it the best way maybe but, I see it now. I see him now and we’re good together, Lance. Please believe me. He’s good forme.”
“I don’t like this and I don’t likehim.”
“You don’t knowhim.”
“I work with him at the station and I have for years, don’t tell me I don’t know him.” Lance shotback.
“Fine. You know that side of him maybe but you don’t know him like I do.” She shot right back, feeling her spine straighten with a new determination to make Lance see the truth the way Connor had made her see it. “I know it sounds crazy. I know it’s hard to believe. But he’s not what you think he is. He’s sweet and he’s kind and he cares about me and I…” The words tried to get stuck in her throat again but she forced them out this time, “I’m falling in love withhim.”
“That’s probably justsunstroke.”
“Jesus, you’re such an ass sometimes.” Trent snorted at his boyfriend before she could respond, “Nobody would have ever thought the two of us would work, but we do. We got our happily ever after despite all the people that said it wouldn’t last, that we were too different, that there were too many obstacles to overcome. Why can’t you give your sister the benefit of the doubt that she knows how she feels and that this thing between her and Connor isreal?”
Her heart squeezed tight in her chest when Trent defended her. He was the best thing that had ever happened to Lance. He’d stumbled into Fate in the dead of night, a high-profile country music superstar hiding from the fact he’d just been outed as gay. He and Lance had connected instantly despite all of the things and people that had tried to come between them. Lance had come out of the closet to be with Trent and neither of them had looked backsince.
She’d gained another brother that day. She’d fallen for the smiling cowboy country singer just as quickly as her brother had, if in a different way. He’d held her when she cried over Derek and threatened to beat him to a pulp for her too. He’d always had her back, from day one of meeting her, but hearing him try to sway Lance to her side now made her love Trent evenmore.
Lance frowned, shoving a hand through his thick dark hair, “He’s not good enough forher.”
“Aw, baby.” Trent pulled him close, “Is that what this is about? Nobody’s ever going to be good enough for your littlesister.”
“No it’s not… Look, Lu, I’ve seen the way he watches you when you come into the station. I just thought you were smart enough not to fall for a cop of allpeople.”
“What the hell does that mean?” Trent scoffed, “I fell for a cop.You’rea cop,dumbass.”
“Yeah and what we do on a daily basis is dangerous. I love you and we’ve talked about that but I want better for my sister than spending her nights worrying about whether or not her partner will come home fromwork.”
Her throat tightened and she felt tears well in her eyes as she listened to Lance talk to his boyfriend instead of to her. It was fine. He was telling her things she’d never heard him say before even if he wasn’t saying it directly toher.
He didn’t want her to be with a cop because what he and Connor did was dangerous. He was just worried about her getting her heart broken. He was a good big brother for worrying but that wasn’t up to him. She worried about Lance already. What would it add to her stress worrying about Connor too? Nothing. Her heart would be broken if anything happened to either ofthem.
“And to think I thought you hated the guy because I said he had a nice ass that one time.” Trent lightened the mood with his trademarkplayfulness.
“Well that certainly didn’t help.” Lance managed asmirk.
She listened as Trent teased Lance and he slowly loosened up before her very eyes. They were so good together. They balanced each other out. Their differences only made them stronger and the things they had in common were all the things that mattered. They wanted each other and a life together, to be happy and healthy and most of all to just be open to be themselves and to love each other. They’d gone through so much to find that happiness and now that they had, nothing would ever come betweenthem.
Did she and Connor have that kind of easy repertoire? Not exactly. But it didn’t mean they weren’t meant for each other just the same. They had a different kind of relationship. They argued and they picked fights just to rile the other. They were sparks and fire and passion and now that it had erupted into a relationship she couldn’t imagine going a day withoutit.
Withouthim.
“Lu?”
“Hmm?” She realized she hadn’t heard whatever it was her brother said to her and she refocused herself on the two men staring at her from the iPadscreen.
“This isn’t just some fling you’re having on vacation is it?” Lance sighed heavily, as if he already knew theanswer.
“No. It’s not. I told you, I’m falling for him. I think… I think it would be really, really easy for me to admit I love him, but I don’t think you’re the man I should tell that to first so… He makes me happy. I wanted to tell you that, to warn you, because we’re coming home together and I don’t want you to make any scenes or overreact. I want you to be happy forme.”
The truth spilled out of her in a rush and she felt her shoulders sag a little once the words were out. This was why she’d had to call Lance. This was why she’d needed him to know. She’d known that he would have a problem with her and Connor being together because he’d never liked Connor all that much. She’d needed to clear the air before she went home because once she and Connor got back to Fate she had a feeling there would be enough other obstacles trying to pull themapart.
She hadn’t wanted her brother to be one ofthem.
Lance was one of her best friends. She loved him. He’d looked after her and protected her throughout her life. But she was a big girl now and she got to make her own decisions about whom she loved. She’d needed him to know and she needed him to still have herback.
