He stops.Takes a breath.When he speaks again, his voice is shaking.“Do you have any idea what this feels like?Finding out that the two people I trust most have been lying to my face for months?”
“We didn’t want to hurt you,” Silas says quietly.
“WELL YOU FAILED.”Hunter’s fist slams into the wall next to him, and I flinch.“You failed, Silas.Because this?This hurts like hell.”
He kicks one of the skis in frustration, sending it skittering across my floor.
“I thought we were brothers,” Hunter says, and now there are definitely tears in his eyes.“I thought—you were supposed to be my brother.And she’s my sister.And you—” His voice breaks.“You were supposed to tell me things.Both of you.”
“I’m sorry,” I whisper.“Hunter, I’m so sorry.”
“Sorry?”He looks at me like he doesn’t recognize me.“You’re sorry?For what?For lying?For sneaking around?Or are you sorry you got caught?”
“That’s not fair!”My own anger flares now.“You think this was easy?You think we wanted to hide this?”
“THEN WHY DID YOU?”Hunter roars.
“BECAUSE OF THIS!”I yell back, gesturing at him.“Because I knew you’d react like this!Because I knew you’d make it about you instead of?—”
“Instead of what?Instead of the fact that my best friend is breaking every unspoken rule we’ve ever had?That he’s been—” Hunter can’t even finish the sentence.He makes a disgusted sound and turns away.
Silas steps forward.“Hunter, please.Just listen?—”
“I don’t want to hear it.”Hunter’s back is still to us, his shoulders rigid.“I don’t want to hear how it ‘just happened’ or how you ‘didn’t mean for it to go this far.’I don’t want your excuses.”
“It’s not an excuse,” Silas says, his voice steady now.“I love her.”
The silence that follows is deafening.
Hunter turns slowly.“What?”
“I love her,” Silas repeats, and his eyes find mine.“I’m in love with Bailey.Have been for years.And yeah, maybe we should have told you sooner.Maybe we should have been honest from the start.But we’re not apologizing for being together.”
“Years?”Hunter’s voice is barely above a whisper.“You’ve been in love with my sister for YEARS and didn’t think to mention it?”
“What was I supposed to say?”Silas’s frustration is finally showing.“‘Hey, Hunter, I know she’s your sister, but I can’t stop thinking about her’?That would have gone over well.”
“Better than THIS!”Hunter gestures wildly at the apartment, at us.“Better than finding out by walking in on—whatever this is!”
“This is us trying to figure things out!”I jump in.“This is us trying to?—”
“To what?”Hunter’s eyes are hard again.“What’s the plan here, Bailey?He lives in Here.You live here.What, you’re just going to keep sneaking around?Keep lying to everyone?”
Neither of us has an answer.
“That’s what I thought.”Hunter’s laugh is bitter.“You don’t even have a plan.You’ve been together for MONTHS and you haven’t figured out the most basic thing.”He points at Silas.“You’re never going to leave Here.And you”—he points at me—“you’d rather die than move back.So what the fuck are you doing?”
“I’ll move here,” Silas says suddenly.
“What?”Hunter and I say at the same time.
“I’ll move to New York,” Silas continues, his eyes on me.“I’ll sell the business, leave Here, move?—”
“NO.”The word explodes out of me.“You are not giving up your entire life for me.”
“Then what?”Silas’s hands spread wide.“You move back?We keep doing this?”
“I don’t know!”My voice cracks.“I don’t know, okay?”