Chapter 16

16

A sharp bang, bang, bang pounds like a gong in my head, and I jolt up, the sheet slipping down my naked body. Immediately, the intrusive sun blinds me as it shoots a freaking laser beam of light directly on my face. "Fuck!" I squint and slam my eyes shut, holding up my hand as if to ward it away. My head throbs a little, and my body aches.

I flop back down and shove a pillow over my face, needing to roll back over and sleep for another ten hours when that bang starts again, and I remember what woke me.

Shit. Ugh. The door. I can only imagine what my face and hair look like, and the last thing I want to do is open the door and face Loomis like this.

Twisted in the sheets, I stumble and fall out of bed, landing on the rug on all fours with a heavy, painful thud like a cat, minus the grace just as there's a third round of bangs followed by a ring of the bell.

"Ow. Okay. Christ, Loomis, I'm coming."

Coming .

I shoot up to my feet and find the spot Stone had occupied all night empty. I expected it, but it still makes me frown, only to quickly sigh in relief. Imagine if he were still here and I had to face a morning after with him? No thanks. It's better that he's gone, and what was I expecting? Him to say goodbye? Again, no thanks.

I throw on the first things my hands touch in my drawer, a pair of black joggers and a pink oversized loose-neck sweatshirt, forgoing the underwear and bra for now. I fly down the stairs, my sweatshirt falling off my shoulder, and I push it back up as I do a quick scan around. The bobby pins and crystals are piled neatly on the entry table, and my ruined dress and undergarments are folded on a chair.

Well then. He cleaned up his mess at least. Almost like it never happened.

I fling open the door, anxious for the coffee and breakfast Loomis promised me, only to feel my smile slip into another frown when I see it's Forest and not Loomis. I really need to start checking the camera before I just fling the door open.

"Hi," I squeak in surprise.

"Hi," he responds, his expression serious and mournful, but with a hint of anger burning beneath as his gaze flickers around my face and hair, likely noting last night's makeup I never washed off and the snarls in my hair from my updo—from having Stone's hands in it. His tight brown eyes are rimmed in red and held up by purple bruises, and I wonder if he slept last night.

And then another thought hits me.

Does he know I was with Stone last night? Is that why he came this morning?

"What are you doing here?" I tuck into myself, shielding my body from the chilly fall air as it slips past the door and inside the warehouse.

"I wanted to talk to you. Is now a bad time?" He takes in my appearance again and then looks past me as if expecting to find someone—likely Loomis, I tell myself—there behind me. I run my fingers through my hair, trying to undo some of the snarls, but my makeup has to be a smeared nightmare, and no amount of Jesus can save it.

"Uh. No, no, of course it's not. Come in."

I step back and he enters, dropping a kiss on my cheek that is more routine than anything else. I like to think Forest and I are friends, or at the very least friendly, but sometimes I'm not sure we are. Like last night. Friends only works when both people are invested in that outcome, and he might still be a work in progress on that. I've also been avoiding him a bit. It makes it easier if we only see and speak to each other in small doses.

"Where's Loomis?" he asks, still searching around the first floor of the warehouse, which is mostly open space. There is a large recording studio on the other side and some furniture and things about, but it's not like the second floor, which is the main living area.

"Getting breakfast." I hope. I don't like lying to Forest, and I've never once told him Loomis is my boyfriend. But I haven't done much to dispel his belief that he is either. I had hoped Forest would have moved on by now, but it's been a struggle for him, and while I don't want to hurt him, he also needs to understand I've moved on and I'm not coming back to him.

He nods, wipes at his nose, and slowly turns back to me. He and Stone look nothing alike, which has always helped me keep them separate in my head. Stone is insanely tall and broad with a square jawline, dark hair, and bright green eyes. Forest is shorter, though still tall by any standards, and leaner with sandy hair and milk chocolate brown eyes. And when he smiles the way he is now, I remember the guy I grew up loving and feel the pang of guilt that always accompanies it.

"I'm sorry," he says and steps forward to envelop me in a hug. "I'm so, so sorry. I was drunk and way out of line last night. I had no right to speak to you or Loomis that way. It was the first time I've seen you together with him, other than in tabloids, and it got to me. I wasn't expecting it." He pulls back and rests his hand on my cheek, searching my eyes. "Can you forgive me?"

I swallow and nod, relief shaking my limbs that he's behaving like this and that he didn't catch me with his brother. Which again makes me feel like shit because I was. Here comes that regret I was expecting, or maybe it's not regret so much as more guilt.

"Yeah? You sure? You don't look so sure."

I giggle lightly and relax. There he is. "I'm sure. You're forgiven, and I should have told you I was coming and that I was bringing Loomis with me."

"It still didn't give me the right to behave like a belligerent asshole." He sighs, his hand dropping to his side. "Will you tell me the truth then? About the two of you, I mean."

I shift and adjust my sweatshirt back up my shoulder. "Forest, he's not my boyfriend, just my very dear friend."

But when I say that, some of the anger that had dissipated comes flaring back, only it's tinted with suspicion and something else. Before he can respond, there's a knock and a ring. My heart hammers again, but I go to the door, and this time, it's Loomis as expected, his hands full of to-go bags and coffee.

He gives me a quick once-over and then snickers. "Well, my love, this is a pleasant surprise. You look like the cat had his wicked way with you last night, and you enjoyed every second of it."

My eyes pop out of my skull, and a blush takes over my face. Forest clears his throat and Loomis chokes in an oh shit way.

"It's Forest," I mouth, silently overpronouncing the words so he can read them.

Loomis's eyes widen, and he tilts his head as his questioning gaze sweeps from me over to where Forest is hidden behind me and then back to me. I give him a little headshake, but it's clear I must look like I was ridden hard and hung out to dry.

He steps inside, and I shut the door.

"Right. Sorry, mate. Ignore all that. I didn't know you were here." He shifts things around in his arms and sticks out his hand. "We didn't get a proper introduction last night. I'm Loomis Powell. It's very nice to finally meet you. I've heard loads about you."

Forest hesitates for a long moment, but eventually, he sticks his hand out, and I watch as he tries to crush poor Loomis's hand. "Forest Fritz." That's all.

Okay then. So much for that apology.

Forest releases Loomis, who tries not to grimace or visibly shake out his hand. "I'll just bring this up to the kitchen then and give you both another minute." Loomis shoots me a quick look that says if you need me, I'm right here , and heads upstairs, obviously knowing exactly where to go, and the illusion that he's staying here with me is complete, and now Forest thinks I'm lying to him.

Awesome.

"I'll go," Forest says, starting for the door only to pause when his hand meets the knob and his head twists back to me. "But for what it's worth, you don't have to lie to me. That hurts like hell, Tins."

I shake my head. "I'm not lying about him."

His eyes narrow again as they skitter all over my face and neck. The blatant question is there. If it's not him you fucked last night, then who was it, and I should have kept my mouth shut.

Frustration and sadness take over, eclipsing all the anger. "I don't know what else to say to you. You're either lying to me and he's your boyfriend, but you don't want me to know or he's not your boyfriend and is clearly using you, and you can't trust him." He turns and steps into me, standing close but still keeping enough space between us that I don't feel closed in. "I hope you know how much I care about you. You can trust me with anything, and no matter what, I'll always be here for you." He sighs. "You deserve better than some asshole using you. You deserve better than him. You deserve me." Another sigh, and he shakes his head as if he wishes he hadn't said that. "I'm heading back to LA today, but when you're back home, I'd like to meet up and talk some more. Without the interruption."

With that, he leaves, shutting the door with a resounding bang behind him, and I collapse against it.

"I'm not using you," Loomis shouts down from the second floor, and I crack, a much-needed laugh tickling my lips. "But I'm guessing it was big brother and not little brother who gave you that rather impressive hickey on your shoulder."

Oh, shit.