“What’s going on, Elias?” Cole took the bottle and twisted off the top.
Elias did the same. “You know everything. How I met her, how she wound up at the cabin. Now I’m back in town and ready to get to work.”
“And the two of you?”
“We aren’t a couple if that’s what you’re asking. The kiss— She was just messing around. I think she… I think she needed to feel something, to break the ice and kiss the next guy is all. But it didn’t go any further than that.”
Cole didn’t look convinced, but Elias ignored him and moved to the living room, leaving the blinds down for now and probably the foreseeable future until he could open them without the threat of a camera lens zooming in on him.
“Did you want it to?”
Elias froze, the bottle lifted halfway to his lips.
Cole seemingly noted the action or lack thereof and shook his head. “I’m all for you meeting someone and settling down. I think you could use a good woman in your life, but Quinley??—”
“Is a good woman,” Elias said, cutting off whatever it was Cole was about to say.
“She left her fiancé in front of the entire world and nearly got herself killed in the process. Until the death threats die down—pun intended—that’s still a possibility.”
“Don’t joke about that.” He hated that there were crazy people out there who wanted to harm her just because she broke things off with Lachlan.
“I’m not. Not really. But Quinley’s actions have had consequences, and she’s dragged you and Ana through them all week. I don’t like it.”
“I know. I get it, but Quinley regrets how it went down, and sheisa good person. I can see why she and Ana have been friends for so long. Quinley…talked a lot at the cabin. She knows she should’ve ended it sooner, but she ended it when she could. That’s all you or anyone else need to understand.”
Cole’s gaze narrowed on Elias, and he saw Cole go into big-brother mode. Still, he managed to keep his mouth shut and his thoughts and opinions about Quinley to himself.
Elias found himself a little surprised by his defense of Quinley, seeing as how he’d felt much the same way as Cole those first few days in her presence. He’d thought she’d obviously lacked loyalty and sympathy.
So when had his thoughts on the matter changed? Better yet, why?
Was it her tears that day in her bedroom floor when she’d found out about the death threats? The kiss on the couch? The smiles and banter and gleefulness when she’d crawled through the window of his bedroom to escape the cabin with him for their hike? The way she’d looked racing into the water that day to celebrate their plans for the future?
“Yeah, you’re coming with me. Let’s go,” Cole said, motioning for Elias to stand up. “You can take the spare bedroom in the garage apartment after we get dinner out of the way.”
“I have a whole house here. Why would I want your spare bedroom?”
“Because you can’t sit here brooding with those idiots outside all night. You’ll wind up in jail.”
Elias got up and remembered he hadn’t texted Quinley to let her know he’d made it home safe. Had she meant it, though? Or was it one of those things you say when you don’t know what to say? “You’re not staying with Ana?”
“The house is completely surrounded by Lachlan’s guards. They can handle things for a while. Lachlan must have banked on Quinley staying with Ana because he tripled security. I’ll check in on them later, but I doubt Ana will want me there until they’ve had plenty of time to talk. Come on.”
“I need to unload the truck and get the cooler unpacked.”
“Fine,” Cole said. “Let’s do it and then get out of here and leave the drama behind.”
ChapterEighteen
Talking to Ana helped more than Quinley thought possible. Better still, the new outfit Ana had brought from the boutique specifically with her in mind went a long way to boost a girl’s ego and self-esteem.
But the thing that bothered her now?
Elias hadn’t texted her. Hadn’t mentioned getting home or whether or not the reporters were at his house as well. Was he okay?
Or just happy to be rid of her and hoping to never hear from her again?
“I know your clothes and belongings are in limbo, so I grabbed a few things to have here just in case.”
