I sat her down on my bed and looked her over.

Tears ran down her cheeks and she wiped them away. She tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear and seemed quite haggard.

“Aria, talk to me.” I sat next to her and took both her hands into mine.

“I’m so sorry to bother you with this. I kind of have no one else to talk to, no one else I trust. My friends will tell me crap because they just want to be cool, and my dad…God, he would freak out and make things worse. He just doesn’t listen.”

I totally understood. “Is this something you could speak to him about?”

I got the feeling it definitely wasn’t.

She pressed her lips together and shook her head. “It’s not. It’s times like this when I wish my mom was here, but I don’t know if she would have freaked out too. Somehow, from what I remember, I doubt she would. She was always a lot more at ease than Dad.”

I appreciated that she was talking to me like this.

“If it’s any consolation, I didn’t have my mom either.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. She left when I was ten.”

“Left?” Sadness filled her eyes.

“Yes. She just decided she didn’t want a family anymore I guess.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“It’s fine.” It wasn’t fine, but it would have to be for the time being. “I’m fine, and this isn’t about me. It’s about you, and you chose me to help you. What happened with Brad?”

“Prom is in three weeks and he wants us to…he thinks we should have sex.”

“So, you haven’t done that with him yet?” I asked the question tentatively even though I could have assumed they hadn’t. I just wanted to be sure.

She shook her head, and I actually felt relieved.

“And you’re crying because…?”

“I…don’t know if I’m ready. We’ve done some…stuff.” Her face reddened when she said that. “I’m sorry, I don’t even talk like this with my friends. They’ve already lost their virginity and I kind of told them I had too. Is this stupid?”

“No, that isn’t something to throw away lightly or not give importance to,” I offered.

“So it’s normal to feel this way? Like I’m not ready?”

“Of course.”

Now it was her turn to look relieved. “Brooke, I hate to admit this, but when we talked about us taking things to the next level, I thought of my dad. I think if I did something like that now it would hurt him. I’m sixteen and I know there are many girls my age doing whatever they want. I’m totally not judging, but that’s the one thing I know he doesn’t want me to do, not now, not while I’m so young.”

I was impressed with the maturity she showed, and the love. And respect.

“I know what you mean. I think his hair would turn white,” I joked, and we both laughed.

“Yeah, it would skip past gray and just turn white like Moses.” She giggled.

I actually could imagine that.

I sighed and looked at her as the seriousness returned to her face.

“What do you want to do?” I thought I should ask.

She looked surprised by my question. “What do you think I should do? Brad thinks I don’t love him.”

I raised my shoulder into a shrug. “Aria, I’m going to tell you something my dad told me once. Now, you know my dad was a captain in the Marines, and he died saving his men from an awful fate. He told me you have to rely on you. You have to rely on what you want and the goals you want. Do that and take charge. That way whatever decision you make, you know you’ll always be true to yourself.”

I would never, ever forget those words. Sometimes when I messed up or things went wrong, I thought of those same words and knew I hadn’t been true to myself.

My whole situation with Craig was an example of that. It was remembering those words that helped me get over him.

“I value that, Brooke.” She gave my hands a squeeze too, and somehow she seemed older.

“Good. Now, if you aren’t ready then Brad will wait if he loves you. I suspect he does, but you need to talk to him and tell him how you feel. Sex is not something that you should be pressured about.”

“What if he breaks up with me over this? Brooke, I do love him. I’ve never felt this way before. I haven’t had many boyfriends, but I don’t want to have to go through a sea of guys when I already know who I want to be with. It’s him.”

“Well, if he feels the same way about you, he’ll understand.” I nodded. She seemed to accept that. “Maybe give it a day or so to cool off and then talk. How about we order a pizza and watch Fashion Police?”

Her face brightened at my offer. “I would love that.”

“Also, the new Dior dazzling gloss is out,” I cooed.

“Oh my God, yes. I forgot. I can’t believe I forgot. I saved up to get it.”

I released her hands and waved her off. “No, you will not spend a dime, young lady. We’re shopping buddies, remember?”

She laughed. “Doesn’t that mean we go shopping together and we each buy stuff?” She inclined her head to the side.

“It does, and that part is to come, but in our world, I get to spoil you when I want to. I never had a little sister.”

Her face was beaming now. “I would happily be your little sister.”

I clapped my hands three times and said, “Abracadabra, your wish is my command! From this day forward, we are sisters.”

She clapped her hands with delight and hugged me. “Thank you, Brooke. Thank you. I really appreciate you.”

I knew she did. “You are very welcome.”

As I held her, I couldn’t help but think about the day I’d had, another strange day that hadn’t ended just yet.

I knew no matter how late this girls night of ours went, I would have to speak to Ryan to put his mind at ease.

It was official—I was going to waste away from all the worries and stress.

Three long hours had passed since I’d heard Aria tell Brooke Brad wanted to take things to the next level.

I swear I died twice in that moment, and a hundred years could have passed since.

It had been hard to leave, but I’d left, knowing it was the right thing to do. I had left and willed the voice in my head to shut up, the one that told me to find some way of sneaking around to get close so I could listen in on whatever Aria was telling Brooke. The voice had told me to do whatever I could to get the information I desperately craved to hear.

Did Aria sleep with Brad?

Did that fucking little punk defile my daughter?

He was dead if he had, and I supposed he had, which was why she’d been crying.

God, I was going to die from a heart attack one day. I just knew it. I did.

Maybe it would happen tonight.

When the front door swung open, I heard her come in, and Brooke was with her. That eased my mind a little but also took me back to earlier when she’d taken me to heaven.

Aria was right: I was a hypocrite. There I was hyped up on sex hormones and wanting nothing more than to devour every inch of Brooke and her perfect body but wishing Aria hadn’t…

Shit, I couldn’t even think it. My poor brain ached at the thought of her and that damn Brad.

I pushed the door to my office open so I could peer out. I was just around the corner from the front door and the living room.

“Call me if you need me,” Brooke was saying. She still had that house shirt on; it looked sexy because I could see the gorgeous length of her golden legs.

“I will,” Aria promised.

“And ask your dad about shopping Saturday. If Vanessa is as bad as me, we’ll be out all day.” Brooke giggled. “We may not make it to the play.”

“I don’t mind. We could probably watch Taming of the Shrew during the week if you’re free. I read the whole play last night and couldn’t put it down.”

She seemed okay, as okay as I could see and hear, because I’d never known Aria to read any kind of book she couldn’t put down.

“We’ll play it by ear.” Brooke smiled. I liked her smile. It was infectious and warm, genuine and…it reached me, even from here where she couldn’t see me. “How about we make it a week of Shakespeare,” she continued. Aria’s face lit up when she heard that. “I don’t know if Vanessa’s into plays, so that could just be our thing, but ask your dad first—and prom…let me know.”

My heart squeezed when Aria gave her a hug.

Prom.

She’d placed emphasis on the word. It was in a few weeks, and I purposely wasn’t thinking about it. I didn’t want to because it was another worry. It was only junior prom, but still. There were expectations…expectations that might have already been fulfilled. I was going to find Brad and kill him.

“Thanks Brooke.” Aria pulled away and proceeded up the stairs.

I waited until she got halfway up before I stepped out of the office.

Brooke saw me and smiled.

I beckoned for her to come, and when she did, I took her hand and pulled her into the office, closing the door behind us. It would be safe to talk in here.

Aria would most likely stay upstairs for the rest of the night, and if she came down for a snack, she’d use the stairs by her room to get to the kitchen.

I rested against the wall and watched the beautiful woman walk over to the lake rock wall I’d made myself when I bought the house. She ran her fingers over the jagged surface and looked ahead to the floor-to-ceiling glass window.

When her eyes landed on me, the look of fascination was replaced with worry and a hint of amusement.

“I’m dying here, Brooke.”

“I know, I just want to see if your hair really does turn white.”

I ran my hands through my hair, and my palms felt clammy.

She moved closer and stopped a breath away.

“She had sex, didn’t she?” Best to cut to the chase, to rip the worry out of my head like ripping off a bandage that’s been stuck to your skin for far too long.

“No, she didn’t.”

I could have cried from the relief. I still felt like I’d aged though.

“What happened?”

Brooke got this tentative look on her face and grimaced. “That’s woman-to-woman confidentiality. I can’t tell you.”

I sucked in a breath. “What? You have to. I will literally die, or possibly kill Brad.”

She laughed and God…I loved the sound. I reached for her and she blushed.

I liked that too.

“Brooke 101: you blush when you find something or someone—AKA me—irresistible.”

She smacked me in my chest and stepped back. “Stop it, mister. You are getting way too good at reading me and it’s scary.”

I laughed, loving the fact that I was right.

“Why is it scary?”

“Ryan 101: you’re a nice guy and I thought you were an asshole. Officer Asshole.”

“You know, I kind of like that.” If she’d seen what I’d done at the station this morning, I wondered what she would call me. I was pretty certain Patterson thought I was an asshole, but he was a bigger one.

“You’re not supposed to. Ryan 101: you freak out too much and you need to calm down.”

She stepped closer and pressed her dainty hands to my chest. I loved the way we’d started this 101 game. When had it even happened? I couldn’t remember, but I liked it and I liked her.

Two weeks—the next day it would be two weeks since she’d arrived in town. It wasn’t long enough to develop such a fascination, but somehow I didn’t care about that.

I was fascinated, end of story.

Fascinated and freaking out, just like she said.

“Calm me down then, Brooke. Give me something to work with. I’m screwing up at being her dad, and it’s hard not to freak out.” That was perhaps more than I should have said.

“You aren’t screwing up.” She smiled with reassurance.

It was actually good to hear someone say it, someone who wasn’t my parents.

“Feels like I am in times like these. I don’t know what the hell to tell her, and I should know.”

“Why should you know? Is there a rule that says you should know everything when you become a parent? Did your parents know everything? Mine definitely didn’t.” She shrugged.

“I wouldn’t have known what to tell her tonight if you weren’t here, and God, she’s reading books and all sorts of stuff since she met you. I didn’t even know she liked Shakespeare. I just don’t know.”

“Ryan, the freaking out—it’s happening again.” Her sexy lips curved. “You have a very good daughter, a girl with a good head on her shoulders. She knows what she wants, and above all else, she doesn’t want to disappoint you.”

“She said that?” I couldn’t believe it.

“Yeah, she did. I won’t be accused of telling you how to raise your child, but I will say you should trust that. Trust that she loves you. My dad did that, and we had a wonderful relationship.”

Her words calmed me. They actually calmed me.

“So I shouldn’t kill Brad?”

“No. You don’t have to.” She chuckled.

“And…I definitely won’t accuse you of telling me how to raise my child, because I need help. What do I say to her?” I needed advice, and I had always been told to never turn away help.

“Nothing. Say nothing. But, just trust me when I say you need to calm down. There is no way on God’s green earth she will come to you with sex talk. Thankfully you guys have me for that for the next eight months.”

I rested my head on the wall and sighed. I was truly grateful to hear that, but I felt bad.

“I don’t want her to burden you.”

She laughed. “Like I said, she’s my friend.”

“You’re being serious. You’re actually being serious.”

She nodded. “I liked her well before I liked you, and you’re still climbing the ladder of forgiveness.”

I smiled at that. “But you like me,” I pointed out, definitely not missing that beat.

“Hmmm. I love your body,” she cooed seductively, giving me a purely sexual, sinful look, and fuck my cock stirred.

“What if I said I loved your body too?”

“It would mean nothing because I already knew that.”

I picked up a lock of her hair and twirled it around my finger.

I wanted her, badly. I wanted her right now. I wanted to finish what we’d started, wanted to pick up where we’d left off.

My hands were dangerously close to her breasts and went straight there, over the swell of her right breast, and I couldn’t help but run my finger over the hard nub of her nipple. I could feel it straining against the sheer fabric of her bra.

“Ryan, we…”

“I know, we can’t. I just want to feel you.”

We moved toward each other at the same time for a hungry kiss. The taste of her filled me with pure, unadulterated ecstasy.

I squeezed her breasts, both of them, and slipped my hand through the opening at the top button of her shirt and under her bra to get a good feel.

We were in my office, on the other side of the house. Chances were we could get away with whatever we wanted to in here without Aria hearing us, but I didn’t want to take the risk, though I did want to enjoy Brooke properly.

With great reluctance, I moved my hand away and stopped kissing her, but I stayed close to her lips.

“Go out with me tomorrow night.”

“Where?”

“Anywhere.”

She giggled against my lips. “Dinner.”

“Okay.”

“Ryan.” She looked up and gazed into my eyes.

“Yes, Brooke?”

“I want the rebel I saw earlier.”

I knew what she meant. The rebel—that was me, the daring guy I used to be.

“Assuming rebel mode.” The rebel I was kissed her again, pressing her close to me so I could feel every inch of her.

Tomorrow was Friday.

It was the first time in a long time that I was looking forward to one.