Kelli
Was it possible that everything about him got more perfect every time she saw him again? Even the fading scratches he had on his face from the accident took nothing from his flawless features. And that voice . . . What his gaze still did to her . . . This was so unfair.
You can do this. Do not fall apart. You have to get through this.
Kelli had known what he’d think when he saw her here tonight. The fire in his eyes now said it all, and she couldn’t even blame him. It was exactly what she’d be thinking if the tables were turned: that he was dealing with some kind of quasi-stalker. If this weren’t absolutely necessary, she never would have agreed to come to this thing with Nathan. God knows she’d put enough effort into covering up her own fading bumps and scratches just to be here without Isaiah or Nathan asking questions. So now that she was here looking like an obsessed ex-girlfriend that couldn’t take no for an answer, she may as well get to what she needed to know.
“Nathan mentioned he was coming to the ESPY’s, that he didn’t have a date, and then hinted that it’d be fun if I came with him tonight—as friends. I figured if he were still okay with us hanging out, especially around you, he still didn’t know. So I asked him about your accident. He said something about it still being under investigation?”
Isaiah nodded, eyeing her suspiciously. “Yeah, that’s standard. They always investigate to make sure they narrow down what exactly went wrong. The department wants to avoid any repeats of anything that could’ve been avoided.” He shook his head. “But you didn’t come here for—”
“Was it?” Kelli asked, sensing she’d be dismissed soon, so she had to get this straight. “Something that could’ve been avoided?”
“All accidents can be, but—”
“Was there anything suspicious about it?”
Now he stared at her strangely. It made her nervous. She couldn’t be sure if he were trying to figure out what she was getting at or if maybe he’d noticed the bruises she covered up. So she shrugged and continued quickly. “I read comments under an article online saying there might’ve been. I was just curious.”
“Not that I know of. The official cause was ruled a boiler malfunction.” He crossed his arms in front of him, his expression going a bit softer as his eyes lowered a bit but quickly jumped back to her face. “Is this really why you’re here tonight, Kel?”
Jesus, just hearing him say her name was enough to nearly choke her up. Seeing him again tonight, being this close to him again, was even harder than she’d imagined. After getting roughed up by a man who may or may not have had anything to do with her dad’s issues, she was still considering taking a chance and sticking around. But now that she knew this much—that Isaiah didn’t know anything more about his accident than she did—she knew what she had to do. She’d never forgive herself if something happened to him because of her tenacity.
“I also came to say good-bye,” she whispered, feeling the bitter tears flood her eyes.
“You said good-bye last time.”
“I mean forever. I’m moving out of state.”
His expression was a strange one, and she lifted her chin, trying desperately to be strong. Already he must think her a pathetic liar, here for no other reason than to continue to stalk him. But she did want to say one last thing to him, just in case he still thought for even a second that she might’ve actually developed feelings for Nathan or any guy so soon after their amazing weekend.
“I just want you to know one thing.” She paused for a moment to clear her throat, but she could see she had his undivided attention. “The connection I felt after only one weekend with you is something I suspect will ruin it for every guy I meet from here on.”
Saying it nearly shattered her heart, especially because she’d seen more in those eyes. Even when his expression had hardened on her tonight, and despite everything that had happened between them since that weekend, she could see that he still felt something for her. She’d take that knowledge with her to help her get through this because, after tonight, she knew she had no choice but to leave. She considered warning him, even though she had no proof of what she suspected.
“Isaiah?”
Emi’s voice jolted them both out of the trance they’d been in for a moment. They turned to see Emi and Addison standing in the hallway near the ladies’ room.
“Nathan was looking for you, Kelli,” Emi said. Her expression was no less severe than the way Isaiah’s youngest brother had eyed her tonight. “You’ve been gone a while.”
“Yeah, the line in the ladies’ room was a long one. Then I got caught up chatting with Isaiah about his accident.”
Emi let her know that they had all started making their way into the theater where the awards show would take place and that Nathan was waiting for her down the hall. Kelli nodded then glanced at Isaiah, whose expression was as somber as she felt, but she managed to smile. “I’ll see you in there.”
It was sheer torture to have to sit through the awards. Mercifully, she didn’t get stuck sitting next to Isaiah and Lola. Instead, she sat next to Olivia, his other sister who was very sweet. By the time it was over, she knew there was no way she’d be joining them at the after party. Having to see him again tonight and know that after tonight she’d never see him again was enough torment. Kelli’s heart could only take so much.
Already she’d mentioned to Nathan she had a headache earlier. So saying she didn’t feel up to hanging at the after party didn’t seem to come as too much of a surprise to him. It didn’t dawn on her until they all began hugging her and Nathan goodnight that she’d be forced to hug Isaiah. It might be too telling if she didn’t, since even his sisters’ husbands and AJ had hugged her good-bye.
Almost as if he were trying to avoid it too, he hugged her last. It was as quick and polite as her hugs to all the other men there had been. Except their hands grazed just as they finished and their eyes met. “Good-bye,” she whispered, swallowing back the boulder in her throat.
“Good-bye.”
Kelli turned away, needing to get out of there before she was in tears.
~*~
Isaiah
A small almost hopeful part of Isaiah wondered if the night at the ESPY’s had really been good-bye or if, like all the other times he thought he’d seen the last of her, it was only temporary. But he knew this was for the best. Anything between them would forever be impossible now.
Days after the awards show AJ confronted Isaiah. Apparently, he and Kelli hadn’t been as discreet as he’d thought they’d been. He’d asked Emi to keep to herself having seen them chatting alone. His explanation had been that she’d been asking him for advice because her relationship with Nathan was a complicated one. At the time, Emi seemed to buy it just fine. Only AJ was now saying otherwise.
AJ stared at him from across the kitchen island. “You two know each other from before or what?”
Isaiah had no choice but to admit it. Lying by omission was one thing, but doing it outright would never fly. Isaiah rarely lied and certainly not to his siblings. But he didn’t have to tell him everything. Exhaling in defeat, he put his cup down in the sink and nodded. “We had a moment before she ever went out with Nathan.”
Of course, AJ didn’t look happy to hear it. The guy had her pegged as shady. Telling him she hadn’t known they were brothers until Manny’s gathering only made AJ’s eyes roll. “So why didn’t you tell him?”
“Because at the time she said she was gonna stop seeing him. I didn’t see the point.”
“Yeah, but she didn’t, did she?”
Isaiah tried to explain about her only showing up again because he stopped answering her calls and wasn’t even reading her texts, much less returning them. “She said she was just trying to explain herself.”
AJ’s face soured. “How many times?”
“This time at the ESPY’s was the last time. She’s moving out of state.”
If it weren’t because just thinking of her made him so tense now, he might’ve smirked at his brother’s disgusted face. “And you believe her? You just said she told you she was done the first time.”
“But she’s moving—”
“Look.” AJ pointed at him, shaking his head. “You and I both know this shit ain’t cool. That bitch—”
“Don’t”—Isaiah caught himself when he heard himself raise his voice, so he lowered it—“call her that. She’s not a bitch.”
AJ peered at him now, and Isaiah knew what he must be thinking. He’d been thinking it since he realized Nathan had no idea the girl he was seeing was someone Isaiah already had a much deeper connection with. This wouldn’t be the first time. Even though the first time was kids’ stuff in high school and the girl had nothing on what Isaiah felt for Kelli, that first time was brutal on Nathan. It was exactly why Isaiah couldn’t even consider anything more with Kelli.
“It’s not like with Desiree.” Just saying the name repulsed him now. “Kelli’s in no way using Nathan to get to me.”
“Bullshit! It’s exactly what she’s doing!”
“Look. I know it looks bad, but I promise you it’s not. I’d never let that happen again.”
Isaiah explained quickly about Kelli not wanting anything to do with him either after their time together. How there was no way she’d know they were related because they never even exchanged last names. He didn’t go into detail since his brother didn’t seem impressed with his explanation anyway. If anything, he seemed more disgusted with her.
“I don’t know what’s going on with you and this chick, Sai. But Nathan needs to be warned about her. If you don’t tell him, I will.”
Isaiah nodded, lifting his hands in the air. “Agreed.”
He should’ve known AJ wouldn’t back down about this. Isaiah didn’t doubt for a moment his youngest brother wouldn’t follow up on the threat. Fortunately, AJ had a long road trip ahead of him, so Isaiah had time. If she’d really left for good, then Isaiah might still be able to avoid the conversation after all. The whole Desiree incident was what made Isaiah dread having this conversation and why he’d put it off this long.
Fortunately, it didn’t take long to find out how final Kelli’s good-bye this time had really been. A few days later on Nathan’s first day back from his shift since Isaiah’s conversation with AJ, Isaiah had been sitting in the front room alone, still wallowing in the bitterness of his slowly recovering knee, when he heard something like glass breaking out in the patio.
“My bad,” Nathan said as Isaiah hobbled out onto the patio. “I dropped a bottle, but I got it.”
His words were slurred, so Isaiah instantly knew his brother had been drinking, something he only did heavily when he was stressing or down about something. “You out here alone?” Isaiah asked, glancing around the otherwise empty patio.
“Nah, Don Julio’s out here with me,” Nathan said, pouring himself another shot of tequila.
Isaiah frowned at the half empty bottle of Don Julio. “What’s going on?” Isaiah asked. “What are we celebrating?”
Nathan scoffed. “Celebrating? Yeah, that’s what I’m doing. I’m celebrating for all of us, for what a shitty month this has been for everyone: You fucking up your leg. My little brother’s heart being broken. Did Emi tell you about that?”
Isaiah nodded, suddenly needing a shot himself. He took a seat at the outdoor bar as Nathan poured him one but continued.
“Emi said my little brother was crying, Sai,” Nathan said, shaking his head. “Since when does AJ cry, man?”
“I know,” Isaiah whispered, his heart hurting for AJ too.
The guy was going through something no one should have to go through. AJ had fallen hard, not just for Addison but for her little girl. And now that little girl was in the hospital in a coma, and his brother was blaming himself for it.
“It wasn’t his fault,” Isaiah said, taking a sip of the tequila.
“I know it wasn’t, but Emi said nothing she said to him would convince him of that. And to make it worse, Addison dumped his ass. How fucked is that? Why are women such bitches?”
Isaiah nodded, but that last question confirmed what he suspected. There was more to Nathan’s pain than just him feeling for AJ. Not that he didn’t doubt for a moment that Nathan was genuinely upset on AJ’s behalf. All five siblings were fiercely protective of one another. Isaiah didn’t want to ask, but he had to.
“What about you? What’s making this month so shitty for you?”
Nathan shook his head before downing his shot of tequila. “Mine doesn’t even compare to what you and AJ are dealing with, but it’s just annoying as shit. Kelli texted me to tell me it was nice to have met me and good-bye but she’s leaving town. I asked her when.” He paused to open the bottle to pour himself another shot.
“Dude, slow down,” Isaiah said, frowning as Nathan filled it to the very top and ignored Isaiah’s comment completely.
“Not only did she not respond to my text asking her where she was going to and when and if maybe we could get together one last time before she left, I drove to her place. The apartment was vacant. Then I showed up at her salon today, the one she said she owned, and they told me she’s already gone, she was just an employee, and she quit but didn’t leave a forwarding address.”
He lifted his hand in the air, snapping his finger. “So just like that she’s gone. Her phone number? It’s disconnected now too. It’s like she was one big fraud or something. I can’t believe I fell for her shit. Tell me something, Sai,” he said, leaning against the bar on his elbows, the slurring getting worse with every word he spoke. “Since when do I chase women? This bitch had me chasing her left and right. But you know what? Fuck her! Like I said, she’s not even why I’m this upset right now. That just topped my day after hearing about AJ. I want my brother home so I can hug him, man.” Nathan’s brows furrowed, and he shook his head as the tears spilled out of his eyes. “When Em told me . . .” He shook his head again, bringing his fist to his mouth as his voice betrayed him. “When she told me”—he tried again, but his voice was still broken—“how upset my little bro was, I wanted to smash my fist through a fucking wall.”
“I know, Nate.” Isaiah nodded, glad now that Kelli was really gone.
Seeing his brother like this just sealed it. Even if it were true that Kelli wasn’t the reason Nathan was so upset, no way could Isaiah ever consider the possibility of anything more with her. It was the principle of it. He wouldn’t even date a good friend’s ex, let alone his own brother’s. And he certainly wouldn’t be letting Nathan in on his weekend with Kelli now. Now that she was really gone this time, there was absolutely no need to add salt to that wound or open old ones. Isaiah could only hope now that Kelli had been right. Nathan admitted he never chased after women, yet he had after Kelli when clearly he knew very little about her too, so it very well could be true. He was just stubborn and had gotten caught up in the chase—the challenge. He’d be over her soon enough.
Isaiah managed to talk Nathan down and into getting in bed. When he spoke to AJ again a few days later, they both agreed, as long as Kelli was really gone this time, it was better if they left well enough alone. Nathan didn’t ever need to know about Isaiah’s weekend with her.