“He only heard you. If you walk out of here alone and make it to the top of the stairs, you can distract him. Keep him there a second or two, then I’ll come out a few seconds later, and if he asks where I was, I’ll tell him I went to lay down in the bedroom next door.”
“You think he’ll fall for it?”
“I think he’s a sucker for a pretty face, and if anyone can hold a man’s attention, it’s you.” I gifted her with a smile I didn’t quite feel, but the moment her lips twitched, and she rolled her eyes, her shoulders relaxed a little.
“You and your words.”
“A man of many talents over here.”
“Shut up and kiss me one last time before we have to do this. Make it quick, but make it count.”
How could I deny her that?
I did exactly as she asked, soaking in every moment of my lips against hers and the heat of our bodies pressed together until I had to pull away again.
“I can’t wait to fuck you later,” I told her, brushing a thumb over the apple of her cheeks before I let her go and watched her squeeze her way to the door.
She glanced back at me one last time, then made her way out of the bathroom, carefully closing the door behind her… but it never quite shut properly before I heard a small scuffle beyond it, followed by a very large hand wedging its way between the door and its frame.
“Woah, Jesus, Andy! What the hell are you—” Phoebe started, only to be cut off when Andy pushed the door open between us, bringing all our secrets and lies out of the dark and into the light.
Time seemed to stand still as I stared at him, and he stared back at me.
“I knew it,” he said, quiet venom lacing his tone.
“Andy, you’ve got it all wrong—” Phoebe tried to interject.
“I’m not talking to you,” Andy hit back, never taking his eyes off me. “I’m talking to him.”
I ground my jaws together, glaring at him for cutting her off so easily…twice now.
He took a step closer, shaking his head. “I fucking knew you were going after her.”
“She has a name. Use it,” I said through gritted teeth.
“I thought she didn’t matter to you?”
“What matters is you telling me how much force you used on her to get to me just now.”
“Force?” He scowled. “What?”
“You heard me. Did you push Phoebe out of the way to get in here or not?”
Andy glanced between us both, eventually noticing the way Phoebe rubbed at her arm as though he’d only just realised she’d been in his path, and he’d been the one to remove her. “No. What? I didn’t. I wouldn’t?—”
“Because I swear to God, Andy, if you hurt her?—”
“You’ll what?” he cut in. “What will you do, huh? You’re threatening me now?”
I almost launched myself at him there and then, ‘brothers’ be damned. My hands clenched into fists, and my nostrils flared as I stared him down.
But then her gentle voice filtered through the red mist, and I caught sight of her paling face and wide eyes.
“Henry. Stop,” she said quietly. “I’m fine. He didn’t mean to catch me, did you, Andy?”
“Of course not. Christ, what do you take me for?”
“It’s a small space,” she went on. “That’s all.”
