There’s an odd distance between us as he pulls down the driveway. I wonder if it’s because I asked if he loves her. Or maybe it’s because he said yes.

It hurts to hear that he does, but I’m not really sure why. I mean, it’s not like he and I are falling in love. I mean, he’s not a bad person, but there are just too many differences between us.

Still, it aches right behind my ribs.

We’re hardly beyond the house when a truck rips into the drive. I feel Kyle tense up beside me. He hits the breaks and the other truck halts before us, blocking our escape. My heart begins to thunder in my chest as I glance over at Kyle.

His jaw is rippling like he’s clenching his teeth and I see muscles bunching up under his shirt. He’s tense and angry, and I know why the second the other guy gets out of the truck. The family resemblance between them is unmistakable.

This is the brother. The one Kyle feels killed his father and stole the love of his life. What a twisted shit storm.

The brother, Kieran, stops beside Kyle’s door and I wait, holding my breath. Kyle stares forward, refusing to even look at his brother or lower the window. And something in me rears up, some long dead fighter in me is ready to do battle.

I open my door and slide out to the dirt road. With quick steps, I circle the front of the truck and shove my hand toward the new guy.

“I’m Victoria,” I say as he looks me up and down, his eyes confused. I know he’s sizing me up, but I don’t give a damn. “We were here dropping off a sick horse with Emma. Now we’re going.” My voice is firm.

Kieran glances from me to his brother, who’s now opening the door and getting out. And Kieran’s gaze sweeps back to me, a sudden smile lighting up his harsh features. He elbows an unimpressed Kyle, who steps back a pace, his impassive features offering nothing to his feelings. Nothing but tight control as he looks past his brother, past me, past this moment.

“She’s cute,” Kieran says, and I see Kyle lock on him with a stare that’s all silent threats. And Kieran’s quick to amend. “Jesus, man. Can we pretend for a second that we’re brothers? That I’m trying to show you I’m glad you found someone?”

“I’m just a friend,” I say to Kieran in my chilliest voice. How dare he talk about me like I’m not even here?

“I’m sorry,” Kieran says, his voice suddenly tired. And I get it. He’s trying – however poorly – to repair whatever happened between him and his brother. But some things can’t be forgiven. I know that. And Kieran should know that.

“No worries,” I say, willing to give him the benefit of the doubt this time. But part of me wants to make sure I castrate him if he ever hurts Emma. She’s such a sweet girl, inside and out, I don’t want anyone to hurt her.

Hell, she’s the kind of person I wish I could call friend. There’s something so infectious about how happy she is despite the rough life she’s had that I admire. I wish I could be like her, I wish I could be okay even though life has been hard.

Kieran looks at me suddenly like he’s seeing me for the first time. And I realize why. He knows that I’m leverage against his brother. I can get him to change his mind, in Kieran’s eyes. I brace myself for the manipulation coming next, but Kieran suddenly powers down.

“Need help with anything?” he asks his brother, who’s still ignoring him like a stoic gargoyle.

Reeling from shock that he didn’t do what I expected, I answer for Kyle. “Move your truck? We’ve got a ton of stuff to do.”

Kieran nods, then glances at his brother again. “I’d still like to buy you that drink,” he says, and I sense very real emotion behind the words. But the offer of an olive branch seems to fall on deaf ears as Kyle continues to ignore him.

After a moment, Kieran sighs and heads back to his truck. I wave and head back to my side as Kyle settles back into the driver’s seat. We pass one another on the dirt road and I glance at Kyle. His jaw is working and I know he’s struggling with some inner demons.

After a moment, though, he turns to me. “Thank you,” he says, his voice tight with anger that I know isn’t directed at me.

I struggle internally. Part of me wants to believe that Kieran is being a good guy. I mean, he saw he could use me against Kyle, but he didn’t take the chance. He said the wrong things, sure, but they seemed like they were coming from a good place.

And I’m even more curious about whatever happened with their father.

Clearly it wasn’t actual murder. Or I assume Kieran would be in jail. But I have a feeling it’s some roundabout responsibility. Still, it’s none of my business.

“You’re allowed to be angry,” I say softly to no one in particular. “No matter what happened, or how. Your emotions have validity.” The words are what I have wished time and again that someone might say to me. Because they’re right and I know they are, but it’s hard to accept them when you’re the one saying them. From someone else’s lips, they feel like they have more weight, more cogency.

And suddenly, I feel tears crowding, but I push them back. I put myself out there, both in what I’ve said to Kyle, but when I got out of the truck. I inserted myself into something I could have hidden from. Something I could have run from because it’s not my problem.

I stood up for someone. I took power in a situation. I wasn’t timid or scared, I actually fucking stood my ground in defense of a friend.

A friend.