Key picks up immediately. “Hey, man. You good?”
“Yeah. Sorry about earlier. Sorry you had to see that.”
“No, it’s fine. Everyone has bad days—even you. Honestly, it made me feel better.”
“It did?”
“Yeah. You’re usually cool as hell. Seeing you lose it like that? Kind of reassuring. Makes my own freak-outs feel less… catastrophic.”
“Gee, thanks.” I rub my jaw. “Do me a favor. Check in on Sierra for me. Make sure she’s not blaming herself.”
“Why would she blame herself?”
Shit. “Just… tell her I’m fine. That everything’s okay. I’ll be back later. I’ll talk to her then.”
“Alright.” He pauses. “You want company?”
“Yeah. But not from a recovering alcoholic.”
I hang up and head inside.
CHAPTER 25
Sierra
Istand outside for what feels like hours, waiting for Reid to come back. He went after Talon, and I almost followed them, but in the end, I stay where I was. Talon would probably hate seeing me right now, and Reid wouldn’t be much better—especially if I told him what actually happened between Talon and me… and Luke.
It’s all a mess, and I feel sick with it, like everything is my fault.
Because it is.
I don’t even know what they were fighting about, but everyone looked shocked, which means it’s not something that happens. Key said he’s never seen Luke like that before, though he had noticed he’s been more on edge the past couple of days. I noticed it too, but I brushed it off. I don’t even know what I thought it was. Something harmless. Not this.
The common factor here is me. I’m the one who’s thrown a wrench into the works. Everything was fine until I came along. What did I do? I slept with all three of them—three men who are, or were, friends with each other. What did I think was going to happen?
To be fair, it wasn’t malicious. It’s not like I planned it, not consciously. I didn’t sit there and map it out like some kind of disaster waiting to happen. But I should have known. I should have seen where this could lead. Luke might be the kind of guy who can separate sex from everything else, but Talon isn’t.
With him, it meant something. I felt that. If he found out about Luke, that could have been enough to push him over the edge. Though Luke seemed like the one driving most of the fight. Maybe it was retaliation. Maybe it was something else entirely. I don’t know. All I know is that none of this would have happened if I’d just kept things under control. “What have you done, Sierra?” I murmur, just as footsteps approach behind me, pulling me out of my thoughts.
Amanda pushes open the door and pauses there, framed in the doorway, sunlight outlining her petite figure. She smiles and steps toward me.
“Looks like you could use a friendly face right now. Want to go for a short walk—get some fresh air and sunshine?”
“I don’t think so. Thanks.”
“Oh, come on, Sierra,” she says, still smiling, but there’s a hint of firmness beneath it now. “You’ve had a rough morning and you’re spiraling a bit. That’s normal. But sitting here stewing in it isn’t going to help. Fresh air might.”
“Yeah… okay. I guess you’re right.”
She links her arm through mine, and we head down one of the tracks. It winds through a patch of juniper bushes, dark berries against the bright green leaves, then slopes upward toward a small stand of old pines.
We walk in silence for a few minutes before we come to a small clearing with a view across the valley to distant mountains. I have no idea which ones. Luke or Reid might know. Talon definitely would. Amanda sits down on an old log that’s been chainsawed into a rough bench facing the view, and I sit besideher. We stare out across the landscape. A large black bird—crow, maybe, or a raven—glides lazily past. The sun is warm against my skin.
Eventually, Amanda clears her throat. I glance over to find her watching me, a thoughtful, slightly quizzical expression on her face.
“Okay,” she says finally. “You want to tell me what’s really going on in that head of yours, or are you planning to sit there and quietly torture yourself all day?”
I let out a breath that almost turns into a laugh, but not quite. “I think I’ve already made a solid start on the second option.”