“I don’t want to talk to him.” I snatched up the phone and silenced it before Aiden could answer it for me.
“Rae—”
I held up a hand. “Aiden, don’t.” I could sympathize with his position on most things where Jordan and I were concerned. But after what Jordan said to me, my brother should be jumping to my defense not looking at me with puppy dog eyes. “Did you hear what he said to me?”
His eyebrows drew together, drawing attention to his cobalt colored eyes. “When?”
“When I got between him and Hunter?”
“I didn’t hear anything, everyone was shouting in my ears, and I was trying to get to you.” He took another sip of coffee.
“He said that Devin was right about me.” I regretted the words and the petty part of me that said them as soon as they’d left my mouth. Telling my brother had been a mistake, a big one.
The defiant anger that we Caseys were known for flashed in his eyes. I was his sister, he wouldn’t let that stand, not even from his best friend. I was ashamed of myself for telling him. I could make up all sort of excuses. But truth was, I’d wanted to hurt Jordan in some way. No matter how childish it was.
I was angry he would think of me that way, speak of me that way. Angry because he wasn’t the man I’d thought he was. I’d shared all of myself with him, told him all my secrets. He stripped me raw, made me feel as dirty as Caleb had. Maybe worse, because I loved Jordan.
The clanging bells echoing around us signaled someone pulling into the back parking lot. We both turned to the monitors. If I’d wanted to set Jordan up, I couldn’t have timed his arrival more perfectly.
“You told him I was here?” I groaned, closing my eyes.
“Nope.” Aiden slid from the desk and rested the coffee cup on the desk. He was too quiet, he moved with far too much ease. For the first time since I’d known him, I was afraid for Jordan. “He’s here to see me.”
“He knew you’d be here?” And hadn’t told me? Of course, Jordan would have known, I shouldn’t have been surprised he didn’t tell me. The package deal thing must have only applied if I caught them talking. He’d never really trusted me at all. Not that it mattered, it was one more thing to stick in the column of why we’d been a bad idea in the first place.
Aiden wasn’t listening to me. He was past the point where my words would matter. He was walking out of the office and hitting the button to raise the farthest bay door. As it rattled open to the bright morning light, Jordan’s restored Chevy truck came into view.
I couldn’t breathe or so much as move, at least until Aiden’s left hand snatch up a pry bar as he walked through.
I didn’t run after him or try to step between them. It was my own macabre self-punishment to watch the destruction of this friendship as well. So, I walked slowly, dying a little bit with each step.
Aiden pointed the hardened piece of steel right at Jordan as he walked toward him. “I told you”—he dug the bar’s point into Jordan’s chest—“not to hurt her.”
Jordan stood stock still, the only motion was the rise and fall of his chest with each breath. He pushed the point of the pry bar to the side as he spoke. “You won’t be needing that to kick my ass, Aiden.” He held his hands spread out wide. “First shot’s free.”
Aiden dropped the bar and hit him in one fluid motion. I gasped and flinched, for even I wasn’t prepared for the force of it. He didn’t lift weights like Jordan and the others, Aiden didn’t work out quite that much. But he did put in work and he was scrappy. The blow knocked Jordan’s head back with a snap.
Jordan stumbled, and my brother caught him again with a sharp jab to the side. That shot had Jordan bent double and leaning against his truck. “I deserved that,” he grunted.
“You’re damn right you did, you piece of shit.” Aiden growled the words, the head of steam he’d built up was evaporating. Scrappy Aiden might be, but Jordan was still his best friend and he wasn’t fighting back.
I hated myself for taking pleasure in the shots my brother had landed. And more because afterward I felt sorry for Jordan. I had to fight the urge, even now, to go to him.
This wasn’t my business, not anymore. I washed my hands of it. I didn’t want to be the person I was becoming. I’d rather be numb.
I pushed away every emotion inside me while I changed in the office. It made the jaunt to the delivery truck much easier. Numb, I could look at Jordan and not break into a million pieces.
He leaned against his truck, sporting a rapidly swelling eye beneath the bill of his black cap. I fended off the gut-check reaction he brought in me, thankful my steps didn’t falter.
Aiden lifted a hand in salute as I crossed the parking lot. Though he wasn’t trying to pummel Jordan anymore, his face was still cold and angry. I assumed Jordan was making amends. But when he moved to intercept me, one hard glare from my brother held him still.
I was thankful for Aiden in that moment, as he aided my escape. I was big enough to know they needed each other. It wasn’t my brother Jordan had destroyed. I had to find peace with that.