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“Well, whatever you do, I support you. Just be careful.”
“I’ve got it under control,” I lie again, hoping my brother doesn’t catch my bluff.
“As long as you know what you’re doing,” he deadpans, giving me his stern older brother look, though he’s hardly that much older.
I have no fucking clue what I’m doing.
“I got this.”
I busy myself with dinner so I can run away from the building worry that’s finding its place in my chest.
“Okay, I just want to make sure someone is protecting you. Royce told—” he starts, but it’s halted as Marcus stands from his seat.
“It’s been great hanging with you fellas, but I’ve got another meeting in about thirty minutes.”
Dabbing the corners of his mouth, Marcus reaches out to shake Ivan’s hand, then finishes off with mine.
“Iv, give me a buzz in the morning, and we’ll go over the last bit of paperwork.”
“Will do,” Ivan replies, and I add in a tight nod as he disappears into the hustle of the restaurant.
“What type of appointment does he have at this hour?”
“None of my business,” Ivan chirps.
“Speaking of people’s business, what’s the deal with Grant and Lincoln?”
Falling flatter than I’ve seen all night, it takes a moment for Ivan to revert his gaze to mine, discomfort clearly taking priority.
“I don’t know. Duke told me he heard in a meeting that their divorce was finalized in a week. No one even knew they were having issues.”
“I mean, do we really think that Grant wasn’t causing issues behind closed doors? The guy isn’t really a saint.”
“I don’t know. I’ve only ever seen one side of him.” His face scrunches.
Grant and Ivan have been buddies for years; some would even say best buddies. The two of them, along with Grant’s wife, Lincoln, have been inseparable since high school. It wasn’t until the recent news of their split that Lincoln became harder to get ahold of, and Grant had been caught in circles he really shouldn’t be in.
Leaving my brother alone and without answers.
“Have you heard from Lincoln?”
The stillness of his breathing is notable even from across the table, but he maintains his composure.
“I’ve texted her hundreds of times, but I only get one-word responses every couple of days. When I try to see if I can meet up with her or take Hayden for ice cream, she just waits several days before responding and pretends she didn’t see the message.”
There had been word of Grant and Lincoln having trouble in paradise for months, if not years, but none of us ever thought anything of it. To us, they seemed happy, and in small towns, people talk.
“Maybe she’s just embarrassed. It’s been spreading pretty fast around Greenway.”
“Maybe, but she shouldn’t be embarrassed with me.”
Ivan’s heart is the biggest of all of ours. He’s smart as whip and inherently the most mature, but his emotional intelligence is off the charts in comparison to the rest of us.
“Keep trying.” I reach a comforting hand around the side of the booth and cup my brother’s shoulder.
It’s hard to see the people you care about going through things you can’t control, but if I’ve learned anything from my brother, it’s to stay true to yourself and be consistent, because people will always come around.
“So, what are you really getting out of working with Marcus Grand?”
