Page 45 of Between Never and Forever

Dex had the uncanny ability to sneak up on anyone when he wanted to, but Dimitri didn’t seem surprised. He turned to confront his brother. “You had her move in? What are you playing at?”

“It was a mutual decision between me and yourbest friend, Dimitri.” He sneered the label. “I’m sure she told you, considering you're the one who forced us into such close proximity in the first place.”

“Don’t put that shit on me.” Dimitri took a step toward him. “She’s not doing this. You need to reevaluate what you’re asking of her, because she’s going through too much right now to—”

“Stop,” I blurted out abruptly. He knew I didn’t share my mother’s condition with anyone unnecessarily, and I knew that was what he was about to do.

“You gotta be honest,” Dimitri practically pleaded.

“Honest about what?” Dex questioned.

“Nothing.” I glared at them both. This was my life, and I was going to make my own decisions about it for once. “This is about my wardrobe. Nothing else. If you’re here for that, feel free to stay. If not, I’d like my room to myself because I have work to do.”

It took that moment for Dex to realize the room’s changes. The colors. The bedspread. The few pillows and vase.

My name came from deep in his chest, low in warning. “Kee.”

“Oh, look at the time,” Pink said suddenly. “I have another client. I’ll be leaving now.”

Dex didn’t take his eyes off me. “You can all leave. But, since I’m sure Kee told you, the engagement is real to anyone else and don’t spread the news until PR does. See yourselves out.”

“Whatever,” I grumbled and went to unpack a box with a purple lamp in it.

“No.” Dex pointed at it.

I intentionally set it down hard on the dresser. “It looks beautiful here.”

“Beautiful? I had interior designers from around the world come in to decorate this place. You’re going to drive me insane moving everything around.”

Olive and Pink waved from behind Dex then abandoned me, leaving me with the two Hardy brothers. They stood there bickering over me, and I tried my best not to have a moment ofdéjà vu. They were bigger now but still argued like boys, and I stood there like a girl totally enamored with both of them in different ways. Dimitri would protect me always, and Dex would push all my buttons to see me spiral into oblivion with him.

“Exactly. She will drive you insane,” Dimitri emphasized. “It’s why I didn’t tell you to have her move in with you. I didn’t even tell you to get engaged. I wanted you two to work things out, not blow things up.”

“Trinity required her to have a prominent partner and be seen with him. And Keelani signed without a single protest, I guess.” He rolled his eyes, showing he didn’t agree with me just signing things either.

I popped a hip out now to interject. “Do you think I don’t have a backbone or something?”

“Not with them.” Dex shrugged and then looked me up and down. “Would you disagree?”

“Don’t say that shit to her.” Dimitri shoved Dex, and Dex looked down at his chest where Dimitri’s hands had just been and smiled. No dimples this time. Just teeth that he ran his tongue over.

“You want to fight this fight now?” He cracked his neck, and that’s when I knew things were getting out of hand.

“There’s no fight to fight. What’s wrong with you two?” I shook my head and stood between them, still with my hands holding my bralette up. “I have rehearsal tomorrow. We need to prep my wardrobe, and I have voice lessons. So, this is fine. Everyone’s fine. Let’s all just be fine.” Both brothers stared at each other over my head. So I stomped a foot. “Knock it off.”

“This is a bad idea,” Dimitri stated one last time.

“We’ll make note of your opinion,” Dex retorted.

Dimitri took a deep breath and then his light-green eyes were on me. “You good?”

I nodded and patted his chest. “It’ll be fine, promise. Now help me out of this top.” I tried to be lighthearted as I lifted my hair so he could untie the pleather crisscrossing of the bralette.

His hands unthreaded the strings while he said, “Sure.”

But Dex stepped up behind me. “I’ll take care of undressing my fiancée.”

“Dex—” I sighed.