Page 47 of Full Throttle 2

“I’m thinking you should be careful because something tells me there is more going on here than either of us are aware of.”

Brian felt the same way, but they only had a couple of days to get everything sorted. Monday was just around the corner. He ran a hand down his face. “This is useful information. Keep digging and keep me posted.”

“You know it and will do.”

Brian disconnected the call at the same time he heard his front door open. He already knew who it was. There hadn’t even been a moment to digest everything Randy had told him, and now she was here.

Lila called out to him. “Brian? Are you here?”

Brian threw the covers off himself and got out of bed. “Here. In the bedroom. I’ll be right out.” His stomach was in knots.

He would be a fool to think Lila hadn’t had any serious relationships prior to them reconnecting. He had a few flings himself, but this one left a bad taste in his mouth.Did she reach out to an ex for money because she didn’t have faith in him?

What the hell was he supposed to say to her?

Brian put on a robe and tightened the belt around his waist before walking out of his bedroom and into the hallway, closing the door behind him.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Lila sat her oversized purse on Brian’s sofa. She was nervous. So nervous that she didn’t know what to do with her hands.

On the drive over, Lila practiced what she would say to Brian but couldn’t get the words right.Ticktock...time was up.It was time to lay her cards out on the table. Only her mind was racing, and she couldn’t string two coherent thoughts together.

What am I going to say?

Lila wrung her hands together and glanced down the empty hallway. She wondered what was taking Brian so long to come out of the bedroom. Time was relative; in fact, her anxiousness made a few moments feel like an eternity.

Do I tell him everything?

Lila continued to fret over her words until Brian emerged. The moment she saw him, she froze. Suddenly, she couldn’t think, breathe, or even blink. Her mouth felt as dry as cotton. Every step Brian took toward her made that kernel of dread inside the pit of his stomach turn into the size of a boulder.

Lila tried to smile but failed. It didn’t help that Brian’s eyes lacked the usual warmth they typically had when he looked ather. His grim expression almost made Lila rethink this entire exercise.

“Hi,” Lila said breathlessly.

“Hey,” Brian responded in kind.

There was an edge to him that Lila hadn’t seen in a long time. Not since that night long ago in college. Something was definitely wrong. “Is everything okay?”

Brian nodded. “I was wondering the same thing about you. It’s not like you to show up out of the blue. You typically call before coming over.”

“I’m sorry.” She was a little taken aback. “You gave me a key. I assumed it was okay to come over anytime.” Lila glanced over Brian’s shoulder. She noticed he’d closed the door to the bedroom, and it was a little late for him to still be in a robe.

Was he not alone?Suddenly, Lila felt sick. They had never actually formally committed to being in a relationship. So, if Brian wasn’t alone, technically, he wasn’t doing anything wrong.

The direction of Lila’s eyes caused Brian to look over his shoulder. “What?”

“If you’re not alone”—Lila’s throat had all but closed. Her words died in her tongue. Lila couldn’t believe she was ready to spill her guts to him. She clearly thought they were more to each other than they were. Lila was not about to have another confrontation, not after the situation with Carrington. She quickly turned around to grab her purse.

Brian was confused, and then it dawned on him. He pointed his thumb over his shoulder. “You think there is someone in there? In my bedroom...as in a woman?”

“We never committed to one another. You can do whatever you want.” The sting of hot tears threatened to spill over. Angrily, Lila pulled the straps of her purse up and over her shoulder.

Lila pivoted and started to walk away.

Brian grabbed a hold of her wrist and gently turned Lila around. “Really? That’s your only reaction to another woman in my apartment?”

Flashbacks of Carrington’s wife confronting her were fresh in Lila’s mind. Of course, she was hurt, and Lila couldn’t even look Brian in the eyes. Instead, she stared at her feet. She thought things with him were different. “What am I supposed to say? I’m not going to lose my shit over a man who clearly doesn’t feel the same way as I do.”