Frustrated, he tossed the phone onto the passenger seat of the car, then shifted it into gear. He was almost home when he decided to make a stop. It was almost noon so surely Dane would be up by now; if he wasn’t then he’d hang out and wait for him to get up. Maybe if Dane called her she’d answer the phone; he hoped anyhow.
Fifteen minutes later, he was coming up onto Dane’s house and immediately spotted Genevieve’s car in the driveway. Anger and hurt rumbled within him.
Of all places for her to go and of all people for her to run to, she went to his brother? He attempted to keep a clear head as he pulled into the driveway and shut off the car.
Why shouldn’t she go to Dane, she thought he was messing with Emma, he reasoned with himself as he made his way up the driveway toward the front door. At least he’d found her and he could get things straightened out. Just because she was with Dane didn’t mean a thing, it meant she wanted to talk about him and who better than with his twin brother? The more he mulled it around in his mind the more it made sense and his anger faded.
Not bothering to knock, he flipped to Dane’s key on his key ring unlocked the door, opened it and let himself in. The house was completely silent – too silent for a couple of people chatting, unless they went out. As he walked further into the house, he heard soft snores coming from the living room.
Upon entering the living room his entire body froze as he laid eyes upon Dane, clad only in a pair of boxers, lying on the sofa with Genevieve curled up next to him. They looked like a couple of lovers. It tore at him. Did her encounter with Emma simply drive her to the man she really wanted to be with? Just like with Emma, was he ultimately the consolation prize?
A part of him wanted to wake them and demand an explanation and explain the situation.
Dane would back him up and verify he was working, since he had worked the same shift. But another part, a stronger part, was done. He was done with competition and fighting with his brother over a woman. He cared for Genevieve deeply and thought they had a great future ahead of them, but he knew he needed a woman who was one hundred percent positive it was him she wanted in her life.
He refused to be a consolation prize again. Refused. Quietly, he made his way back out of the house, got into his car and drove home.
~*~*~*~*~
Genevieve awoke to a thumping sound. Groggily, she opened her eyes and smiled to see Graham under her, still sleeping. Closing her eyes she rubbed the sleep from them, glad that it had all just been a dream. With her eyes cleared, she opened them back up and her body froze; it wasn’t Graham’s body she was draped over, but Dane’s.
Oh shit. The realization sent a dagger into her heart, and sadness flooded through her again.
She pushed herself into a sitting position and pushed back the tears. Tears wouldn’t do her any good. The faster I forget him the faster I can move on.
Her movement woke Dane and he stirred next to her. Slowly he opened his eyes and smiled up at her. “Hey you. How are you feeling? Ready to talk?”
“Yes… No…” She sighed. “I don’t know.”
He sat up and stretched, before standing and offering his hand to her. “Come on. I’ll make us…” Dane glanced over to the clock on the wall. “Lunch. And you can tell me what my ass of a brother did to ya.” A wide smile spread across his lips and he jerked his head toward the kitchen.
“Come on.” Accepting his hand, she allowed herself to be pulled from the sofa and followed him into the kitchen.
“So, ready to talk about it?” he asked, opening the fridge and surveying the contents as she leaned against the kitchen counter, arms crossed over her chest.
“Oh, well. I guess.” She uncurled her arms and raked her fingers through her satiny locks.
“Today’s our one-month anniversary of making it official.”
“Uh-huh.”
“So I went to his house planning on surprising him when he got home after work.”
“Right.” With an armful of ingredients for sandwiches, he deposited them onto the countertop and gave her a hip bump, moving her a couple of inches and out of his way. “So, was he a cranky ass when he got home? He can get like that sometimes when it’s been an insane night. You’ll get used to it, it’s nothing personal, but the job can mess with your head sometimes.”
Genevieve laughed. She couldn’t imagine Graham being cranky with her, but then again, she couldn’t imagine him going back to Emma, but…
“So spill it. What’s going on?”
“It’s Emma.”
His body tensed up and his brow furrowed as he turned to face her straight on. “Emma? What does she have to do with anything?”
“She was there when I got there.”
Lunch forgotten, his frown deepened. “I don’t understand. She was there? What did she want?”
“Graham apparently. And it seems he wants her because she was in a little teddy-like thing when she answered the door.”
Confusion was etched in his expression and shone in his eyes. “What did Graham tell you?”
“I didn’t speak to him, she wouldn’t let me. She told me they’d had an exhausting night and he was sleeping. He was supposed to be at work, but apparently he’d lied so he could be with her.”
“Graham did work last night. He was still at the precinct filling out paperwork when I left this morning.”
A spike of hope raced through her until she remembered it was his brother she was talking to.
“You don’t have to cover for him.”
He huffed and turned back to making the sandwiches. “Trust me, the last thing I’d do is cover for the guy who stole you.” Despite his words a grin touched his lips.
Genevieve laughed. “He didn’t steal me.”
“Either way, you’re with him and not me so I consider that stealing.”
“But his car was there when I got there.”
He turned back to her. She could see him thinking. “You know, I think he went in with his partner; they went to a game before work. They do that once in a while.”
“Why didn’t you go?”
Dane shrugged. “Just didn’t.”
“So how did she get in?”
He turned back to her, passing her a ham and cheese sandwich. “How were you planning on getting in?”
“The key under the rock behind the garbage bin.” She took a bite from the sandwich, not even realizing how hungry she was until that moment.