Chapter 33: A False Start: Chapter 33

My best, and possibly only friend, stares back at me with pure shock written all over his face. I always knew I was going to tell him. I just didn’t imagine it happening like this.

“You’re in love with my sister.” He says the words like it’s a new language to him, confusion etching every syllable.

I just offer him a stern nod.

“Stef,” Nadia cuts in.

He turns his gaze on her. “Nadia, please don’t interrupt. This is between Griff and—”

Rage flares in her eyes and her pointer finger shoots up at her brother. “Don’t you dare finish that sentence, Stefan Dalca. Don’t you fucking This is between me and Griffin. You? You are a non-factor. You think you get to hightail it out of my life the first chance you get and then waltz back in and gatekeep my relationships? My body? Well, have I got news for you.”

Stefan visibly pales, clearly still haunted by their past.

“I’m not sticking around for this pissing contest. I’m too angry with both of you right now.” Her body shakes with the energy coursing through her, and I realize what a tenuous hold we had on our relationship. I suspect that seeing Tonya waltzing around like she’s royalty broke whatever weak agreement we came to last night. I’m married, and that debacle clearly will not get better before it gets worse.

Nadia marches away, and neither of us makes a move to stop her. She turns around when she gets to her vehicle, gripping the top of her door until her knuckles go white. “You two Neanderthals are best friends. Don’t be stupid about this. I’ll see you both at family dinner tonight.”

With a disappointed shake of her head, she gets into her car, pulls a three-point turn, and burns out of the driveway. Leaving us both standing in a cloud of dust, staring at each other a little sheepishly.

Stefan breaks the ice. “I think my sister just gave us both a spanking at the same time.”

“She’s a force to be reckoned with,” I agree. Because she is. She takes no shit, not from anyone.

The two of us stare at each other, awkward silence swelling between us. “Listen, I should have told you.”

Stefan shakes his head and scrubs a hand over his face. “No. She’s right. It’s none of my business in the grand scheme of things. I’m just shocked. Surprised. Mira mentioned she could see there was a spark between the two of you, and I laughed it off. I couldn’t see it, but maybe I just wasn’t looking.”

I suck in a deep breath. “We actually met before I knew she was your sister. Two years ago, at Neighbor’s.”

“Well, shit.” He cups his hands behind his neck. “I had no idea.”

“Yeah.” It’s all I can think to say because Nadia right. We don’t owe him an explanation or any details. Most of this is between us.

“Well . . . I like you a lot better than that Tommy guy.”

“I fucking hate that kid,” I growl back. Just the mention of his name makes my jealousy levels spike.

Stefan chuckles, still regarding me like I’ve grown a second head or something. Like he can’t quite reconcile the whole thing. And really, who can blame him? It’s out of left field for someone who didn’t know.

“Listen. All I want for Nadia is the best. Love. Happiness. For every single one of her dreams to come true. We have a unique relationship, and I know I’ve made mistakes where she’s concerned, but I don’t want to make any now. If she loves you, and you love her? If you make her happy, and you can make all her dreams come true, well, I already love you like a brother, Griffin. It wouldn’t be hard to adjust to having you around. I want nothing but the best for both of you.”

“Fuck, Stefan.” I think that’s as close to my friend professing his love for me as I’m going to get.

“But . . . Griffin . . .” He hits me with a penetrating stare. There’s no cruelty, or challenge in his expression, just pure honesty. “If you think any of this shit”—he waves a hand behind himself at where Tonya stood and proclaimed she’s going to drag me through the mud—“is going to blow back on her, then that’s something you need to think about. I know you have your demons, and I know one of the most valuable things about our friendship is that we never pick on each other about those things. But that girl? She needs no more demons.”

What he says rings true. It’s painful to hear, but he’s not wrong. I struggle to find any words to respond. Words aren’t my strong suit at the best of times, and right here in this moment is not the best of times.

So, I just meet his thoughtful stare with a patient look of my own. A stony nod is all it takes for him to know I understand what he’s saying.

He claps me on the shoulder and strides away to his Jeep, peeling out of the driveway, leaving me standing alone.

Well, not alone. With my demons.