Chapter 12

Bentley

I was glad my brother had decided to meet me for lunch today. He needed to get out of the house more. Lex had a tendency to turn me down when I suggested we go out. He’d invite me to hang out at his apartment, but he rarely went anywhere.

Looking at the time, I realized he might stand me up. He was already twenty minutes late.

As I was about to message him, my phone buzzed with an incoming text.

Lex: Sorry. I’m running late. I’ll be there in about fifteen minutes. My client had some questions about the project I sent over.

Bentley: See you then.

My brother had earned his degree in English while in prison. I’d been surprised by his choice of major and even more surprised when he started doing technical ghost writing after his release. While I was glad he’d found a career he enjoyed, I worried he’d picked it because he didn’t have to leave home.

“Still waiting on your brother?” the waitress asked with a warm smile.

“He should be here soon,” I assured her.

“Can I get you a refill?” she asked.

“Yes, please,” I replied. “I’ll also order for me and my brother now.”

“What can I get you?” she asked.

“Two turkey and avocado sandwiches,” I told her. “Everything on both of them.”

“Got it,” she chirped. She was about to walk away when her mouth dropped open. “Oh. My. God. Is that Gage Addison from Reckless Release?” Her voice had gotten even higher, and she was bouncing as she clutched her order pad.

I was almost afraid to turn around. Gage had definitely been on my mind. It wasn’t simply my memories keeping him at the forefront of my mind. Cami and Mercy were determined to bring Gage up every time I spoke to one of them.

Turning my head toward the door, my eyes immediately landed on him, and my heartbeat quickened. There he stood, dressed in worn jeans and a leather jacket. Damn, he looked good. No! I would not start thinking about how good he looked. I also wasn’t going to think about the kiss.

“That is him, isn’t it?” the waitress asked.

“Yes,” I replied unable to look away from Gage. “That’s definitely Gage Addison.”

My waitress continued to chatter excitedly about her love for all things Reckless Release, but I wasn’t paying much attention to her. Gage’s eyes scanned the cafe until they locked with mine and narrowed. He looked angry as he stalked toward me.

Without waiting for an invitation, he sat across from me.

“Your brother is Gage Addison?” the waitress asked in awe.

“No!” I replied quickly.

“Not yet,” Gage grumbled.

The venom in his voice came as a shock. I had to assume he’d seen the tabloid article about me and Colin, but it didn’t warrant his anger.

Our waitress looked fascinated, and I was certain Gage would regret drawing this kind attention later. Then again, maybe I was wrong. Rock stars loved being the center of attention.

“This isn’t the place,” I told him quietly. “You’re also wrong.”

Gage’s jaw clenched, and I could see his struggle before he finally ground out. “I was definitely wrong.” He flashed our waitress a brilliant smile. “Sorry about that. I’m a little tired, so my sense of humor is off. Could I get a club sandwich to go?”

“Of course,” she replied in a breathy voice. “I’ll put your orders in now.”

After our waitress hurried off to fill our orders, I looked around. Surprisingly, Gage’s outburst hadn’t attracted attention. I was thankful he’d kept his voice low. Taking a deep breath, I decided to move past his assumption that the tabloid article was true. All I could do was tell him the truth—most of the truth. It wasn’t my place to tell him about Colin and James.

“I’m sorry I didn’t call you,” I began. “My phone was stolen at the airport.”

He snorted. “I was the idiot who thought you were interested in me. You were already committed to Colin.”

“I’m not dating your brother,” I snapped before taking a deep breath. I needed to keep this civil. It wasn’t easy. His nasty tone made me want to smack him.

“So, you do know who I am,” he said with a humorless bark of laughter. “You are a great actress. I was convinced you didn’t recognize me on the flight.”

“When I met you on that flight, I didn’t realize you were Colin’s brother. I also didn’t realize you were a musician,” I insisted, getting angrier by the second.

“Right,” he scoffed. “I’ll buy you didn’t realize I was related to Colin. You wouldn’t have taken my number if you’d figured that part out,” he stated angrily. “Imagine my surprise when I found out that the sweet girl-next-door act was bullshit. You’re a whore out to get my brother’s money.”

Silence hung between us as his words settled in. To give him some credit, Gage looked shocked by what he’d said—not enough credit that I could stomach being in his presence. “Get the fuck away from me,” I ground out.

“Don’t be like that,” he crooned softly, leaning in so we weren’t putting on as much of a show. “We’re practically family. You can tell me the truth. Were you planning to mess around with me behind my brother’s back? Was I just some guy you were playing games with?”

I was beyond tempted to punch him in his smug face, but he wasn’t worth the sore knuckles. “I simply made the mistake of believing you’re a nice guy.”

He opened his mouth and hesitated. “If you aren’t involved with my brother, how do you explain the photo of you in that magazine?” he asked. “Or the multitude of other pictures of you with Colin?”

“What other pictures?” I asked.

“The ones the private investigator found,” he explained.

My mouth dropped open. “You had me investigated? On second thought, don’t answer that. Leave. I don’t want to see you or talk to you. I sure as hell don’t owe you any kind of explanation.”

“So, you don’t even have a defense?” he demanded.

“This isn’t my story to tell,” I replied. “As I’ve already said, I also don’t have to defend myself to you.”

“Is everything okay?” my brother asked as he approached the table. His green eyes widened when they landed on Gage, but he said nothing.

“Everything is fine,” I assured Lex before giving Gage a tight smile. “It looks like your food is ready.” I gestured to the waitress heading our way. I’d never been so grateful for fast service in my life.

He nodded and stood. “I’ll talk to you again soon.”

“I hope not,” I said under my breath.

Lex eyed Gage until he exited the cafe. “Wanna tell me what that was about?” he finally asked, taking a seat across from me.

“I’ll tell you later,” I assured him.

“Because you’re afraid I’ll go after him and kick his ass?” he asked.

“No, because I’m afraid I’ll go after him and kick his ass if I spend too much time thinking about it,” I admitted.

My brother chuckled. “That I have no trouble picturing.”