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“I don’t know,” I answered honestly. “I left him down there so he could have time, but it may have been a mistake.”

“No, you know how Niall is. Giving him time and space is exactly what he needs.”

“I told him you’d be there in about an hour.”

“Yeah, I’ll prepare and head out.” He was silent for a moment before cursing. “I’m fucking stunned. God, this is going to wreck Dahlia.”

“I know.”

“Boss… It’s going to wreck her. While you were in, Ben was who she leaned on. We all kept an eye out, but nothing crossed the line. They were tight because he was good at distracting her. Teaching her how to bake and shit. It was like everyone else was your people doing you a favor, but Ben washerfriend. Her only one.”

“I know. I fucking know. Shit.” I slammed my hands on the steering wheel.

“I’m only saying something to prepare you. It might get ugly.”

“Fuck.” I put the car into drive and headed in an arbitrary direction. “Let me know how clean up goes.”

“Will do, boss.”

We hung up and I drove around in silence, lost in my head.

A while later, my phone chimed with Gabe’s tone.

Gabe:Done. Only one. Niall was gone when I got here.

Taking the drive home, I tried to plan for anything and everything. Dahlia had struggled when I told her what I did, and I wasn’t sure how firm her acceptance was.

I pulled into our driveway, but didn’t climb right out. For the first time since she’d come into my life, I wasn’t in a rush to see Dahlia.

I fucking hated it.

Dahlia

Maybe I shouldn’t have had that late coffee. I’m on edge enough.

I heard Theo’s car pull in, but it was still a few minutes before the door unlocked.

Don’t freak out. Maybe he was just on the phone.

One look at his face killed that thought. He was trying to keep his expression normal, but his eyes gave it away.

Strained and bleak, they showed me what I’d already suspected.

Something was wrong.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

Theo sat on the couch next to me, shifting so he faced me. I’d been expecting him to pull me onto his lap like he usually did, but he gave me space. “Remember how I told you about the rat? How he’d tried to set me up so I’d get caught with Larson and then the fight?”

I nodded.

“We caught him.”

“Okay,” I drawled. “Who was it?”

“Ben.”

I burst out laughing.