CHAPTER THREE

Elaina—

I crack my eyes open to the early morning light and find Dylan standing at the windows, looking at the view, dressed in jeans and a long sleeve denim shirt over a tee.

I scoot up on my pillow, and he twists to look at me.

"Good morning."

"What time is it?" I ask.

"Six thirty."

"You must be a morning person."

"Not really. Usually, I'm just getting to sleep about now."

"You're kidding?"

"Nope. I was thinking maybe we should get your dog before my brother checks out. I'm assuming you have a key."

"Yes."

"Who's caring for the dog?"

"We hired a dog sitter."

"Will they be there?"

I shake my head. "She's just supposed to check in to walk her and feed her." He's right about Elliott. I need to go before he gets up and goes home. Pushing the covers off, I stand and stretch, yawning. When my eyes open, I see Dylan's gaze on my breasts, and I drop my arms, and clear my throat. "Give me twenty minutes."

"Sure. You want some coffee?"

"Maybe later." I grab my bag and scramble to the bathroom.

When I come out Dylan is zipping up his suitcase.

"There's a coffee for you. I didn't know how you liked it, so I left it black."

"Thanks."

"You ready?"

"Yes." I pick up the cup, and we exit the room.

Stepping out of the elevator and into the lobby, my gaze darts around and there's a lump in the pit of my stomach. The last thing I want to do is run into anyone, especially my parents who would be the most likely to be up early and perhaps getting breakfast in the restaurant.

As we pass the archway leading to it, I duck to Dylan's other side, hiding behind him, just in case. He gives me a side eyed glance, but other than that, keeps walking. We step outside.

It's foggy this morning with gray overcast skies.

"My rental is parked over here." He nods to the side lot, and I follow. He leads me to a big shiny new pickup truck with a crew cab.

"All this just to get from the airport to the hotel?"

"It was all they had left." He opens the back door and tosses our bags inside, then holds the front passenger door open for me.

I climb inside and wait as he rounds the front hood. The seats are plush leather and super comfortable. The truck shifts with his weight as he climbs inside, then starts the engine.

Lowering the volume on the music coming from the speakers, he pulls his phone out. "What's the address?"

I reel it off, and he puts it in his map app, and then we're on our way.

He wheels his arm around in a circle, steering the truck out onto the road, then glances over at me. "You got a vehicle there?"

"At Elliott's? Yes."

"What is it?"

"An SUV."

"So, here's what I'm thinking. We pick up your car and dog, and whatever else you want to bring with us. Load up your car, then we drop off this beast, and we take your car to Durango."

"Don't you have a plane ticket?"

"Yep, but I figure it'd be better if I stick with you, in case you have any problems on the road." He glances over at me. "Sound like a plan?"

"I… I hate to make you do that. I guess I haven't really thought this all through."

"It's no problem, Elaina. I love a good road trip if the company is right." He grins. "We can stop at a gas station and load up on snacks."

He's doing his best to make this easy for me. "Dylan."

"Yeah?"

"I want you to know I appreciate everything you're doing for me."

"No problem. I hate that my brother put you through all this, but trust me, you're making the right decision."

"I haven't really decided anything yet. I'm taking some time to think it all through, like you said."

"Right. Still, I think you should take as much as you can. No telling what Elliott will do to your stuff if he's pissed enough."

"My things will never fit in the SUV." I think of my furniture, things I love.

"Okay, then we'll come back and get it later, but right now, I think you just need to get out of town."

"What if he won't give it to me later?"

"Then he'll deal with me." He looks over with a stone-cold expression that tells me everything I need to know. Dylan will have my back, and I pity any man who pisses him off. Although he's shown me nothing but a sweet, patient, caring man, I know there must be a side to him that is far from that. And I suppose that's exactly what I need right now. He'll never let Elliott take advantage of me, and I know I'm in good hands.

It's not long before he pulls to the curb in front of Elliott's condo building.

Dylan dips his head to peer through my passenger window. "This it, huh?"

"Yes." I stare at the place. It's not my style. It's sleek and modern, with all the amenities, but it has no warmth, no character, no homey quality.

"Wait there." He yanks on his door handle and slips out, and I wonder if he's going in without me, but he can't. He doesn't have the keys. I watch him walk around the hood and open my door.

I've never had a man open the car door for me. Not even Elliott.

Dylan holds his hand out. "Come on. Let's get this over with."

I lead us inside the lobby and across to the elevator.

"What floor?" he asks.

"Tenth."

He hits the button, and up we ride. When we get to Elliott's door, my hands are literally shaking as I try to slip the key in the lock.

"You okay?" Dylan asks.

"Yes." I manage to get the door open and step inside. My dog runs to me, her tail wagging a mile a minute. I squat down and she licks my face.

"Wow. I wasn't expecting a German Shepard. I figured you had some little yappy dog."

I hug Rosie. "I've had her since she was a puppy. I found her at the shelter."

He squats and lets her sniff his hand. "Hey, girl."

Rosie takes to him right away, and I realize all over again that dogs can sense what kind of a person someone is much faster than a human. "Wow."

"What?" Dylan glances at me.

"She never took to Elliott like that. She really only tolerates him."

"That should tell you something." He cups her face and scratches behind both ears. "Such a pretty girl, you are."

I stand. "I'll be as quick as I can."

"Take your time. I don't think Elliott is coming anytime soon."

"I suppose you're right." I stare out the sliders to the balcony that overlooks the city and second thoughts assail me. Am I doing the right thing? What if I'm making a huge mistake? "Maybe I should leave him a note, or call him," I murmur, not really expecting an answer; I'm just thinking out loud.

"Elaina?"

I turn and find Dylan staring at me. "What?"

"Don't second guess this."

"Maybe I overreacted. Maybe he's crushed. He left so many messages. I ignored them all. Maybe he's sorry. Really sorry."

Dylan inhales deeply and blows it out. "That's not the case."

"You don't know that."

"I do."

"You don't know him anymore. Maybe he's not the same man you remember as a child. Maybe—"

"Elaina. Stop. None of that is true."

I lift my chin and won't meet his eyes. Out of the corner of my eye, I see him inhale deeply again and dig his hand in his hip pocket. A moment later, he's scrolling over the screen of his phone, then holds it out to me.

"Here."

I glance down at it but don't take it.

"I didn't want to have to show you this, but you need to have all the facts." He hits a play button on the video and slides it across the kitchen granite island toward me.

It spins and stops, facing me. The image is a door opening, and I recognize it as a hotel room door.

"Before you woke up this morning, I took the keycard and went up to your suite."

I stare at the screen. It shows the suite in the early dawn light. He moves through it to the bedroom. He scans the bed with the red rose petals scattered. The shape of two bodies lay underneath the crisp white sheets. Elliott is clearly on his back, his mouth slack and snoring. Long blonde hair trails over the woman's bare back, and her arm is thrown over his abs. I can't see her face, so I don't know if I know her. The camera pans as Dylan turns to leave, and as he does, I see a pink sherbet gown crumpled on the floor.

She's one of my bridesmaids.

Blonde.

I hiss in a breath.

Madison, my twenty-four-year-old cousin, the one my mother insisted I put in my wedding. "That little bitch."

"Don't blame her. He's the one cheating on you," Dylan reminds me of something I don't need reminding.

"She was at the wedding, too. Hell, she stood up there while I said my vows. So yeah, my lying, cheating husband is to blame, but she's not innocent."

"Point taken."

I'm fuming, anger flaring through me. I stalk to the bedroom and jerk open the closet. I fling garments on the bed, using my anger to cover the crushing hurt that's tearing my heart in two. It's over. It's done. All my fairytale hopes and dreams shattered into a million pieces. It's not long before I'm overcome with the weight of it all and slide down the wall of the walk-in closet to sit in a ball on the carpet, holding my knees to my chest and rocking as I silently sob.

The floor creaks, and a shadow falls over me. "You okay?"

I shake my head and dash the tears from my cheeks. Rosie pushes her way in and licks my face, whimpering. I stretch my legs out, and she lays her head on my thigh.

Dylan sits, extending his long legs and leaning against the wall next to me. He doesn't say anything more. He just rests his hand on my shoulder and lets me cry it out.

I stroke Rosie's head and try to slow my breathing. "I feel like such a fool."

"This isn't your fault. You're a gorgeous woman with a sweet personality. Any man would be lucky to have someone like you in his life. My brother is just the wrong guy. He's not capable of loving anyone but himself. He'll be that way until the day he dies. You're lucky to be rid of him. Shake it off. You've still got your whole life ahead of you."

I nod, wiping more tears away. I just want to curl in a ball and die.

Dylan drags me against his warm chest.

I sob against his denim shirt and sling my arm across his waist. His neck presses against my forehead and his hand strokes my head.

"Cry it out. Take as long as you need, sweetheart."