Page 181 of Forever Never
“Huh?” He couldn’t come up with any other words.
“Me and Brick?” Kimber laughed. “Ah, no. The kids and I are staying here while Kyle and I decide whether to divorce each other or turn into completely different people to make things work.”
“Girl,” Audrey said. “I hear you.”
Brick felt like the floor under his feet was shifting, cracking, crumbling.
Audrey and Remi under the same roof. Someone was going to get hurt. Multiple someones. He was definitely one of them.
“This isn’t a great time...” he began. But trailed off when Audrey raised an eyebrow.
“It’s really good to see you again,” Kimber said.
He was so fucked. Beyond fucked.
“It’s good to be back on the island. Heard things are getting pretty serious between my brother and Ken, so I thought I’d come out for a week.”
“And you’re staying here?” Kimber said. “Brick is so generous with his house, isn’t he?”
“To a fault,” Audrey said, patting him on his arm.
“Did I know you were coming?” he asked, finally finding his voice.
“You did. Well, sort of. The plan was for me to come in May. But I got a break between projects at work and thought I’d move up the trip. So what’s new?”
Kimber and Brick exchanged a look.
“Uh. Well.”
“Did you come home to take me to lunch, big guy?”
Remi’s cheerful question had him whirling around in the foyer. His body the only barrier between the woman he loved and the one he’d married. Remi looked like a walking disaster. Her hair was piled wildly on top of her head. She had a slash of turquoise under one eye. Flecks of red dotted her hand. Every color of the rainbow lived on her green t-shirt.
Magnus threaded his way through her feet before wandering around Brick to greet Audrey. Mega, sensing trouble, tip-tapped into the foyer and cocked his head.
Brick’s brain froze. He’d been trained to handle a wide variety of threats, but this was new.
Remi’s eyes went wide in surprise.
Audrey’s face was unreadable.
Uh-oh.
“Hey. Remi, I was hoping to run into you while I was in town,” she said. “I have some things I need to say to you.”
Mayday. Mayday. SOS. Officer needs assistance.
“Why don’t we all take a minute—” Brick began.
“Sure. You want some coffee?” Remi offered.
“Love some,” Audrey said. She turned and handed Brick her suitcase. “Mind putting that upstairs for me?”
He stood there holding the bag as he watched the two women disappear into his kitchen.
“I can’t decide how fucked you are,” Kimber whispered.
“I... They... Uh...”
