Page 133 of Illicit Games

I’m confused about the tension between the two men. Did they have a fight about me that I didn’t know about? When did it occur?

“It’s fine, love,” I calmly tell Kian. “Nova’s my friend.”

Shame shadows Nova’s face, perplexing me even more. I’ve never seen him anything but cocky. He silently waits for Kian to answer.

“Two minutes,” grits out Kian.

“Thanks, man.”

After giving me a kiss on the cheek, Kian walks away. Nova steps forward, his palm outstretched. I accept it and let him pull him close. He maintains a polite distance, his hand resting in the middle of my back.

“So,” I lick my lips as we sway to the beat, “what did you want to talk about?”

“I owe you an apology.”

“For?”

“For calling you a cheater behind your back and without hearing your side of the story. Rosalie told me the truth about you and Nathan. I’m sorry I said those things, Iris.”

There’s no malice in his tone. He genuinely regrets it. I’m not mad because I know where he was coming from.

“Your loyalty is with him,” I say.

“He’s my best friend.” He sighs. “We’ve stood by each other through thick and thin. I’ll always be loyal to him. But that doesn’t mean I won’t admit when I’m wrong.”

“I understand. I forgive you.”

His shoulders relax, but his face remains serious. “I have a feeling there’s more going on between you two than you’re sharing.”

I tense at his observation.

“You don’t have to tell me,” he softly says. “But if you need help, don’t hesitate to reach out to me.”

“Has Nathan talked to you yet?”

His jaw tightens, hurt reflecting in his eyes as he glances over my head before meeting my gaze. “No. I’m worried about him. He’s not acting like himself.”

“No, he isn’t.” I hold back from revealing anything else.

“How close were you both?”

“I thought he was my best friend.”

“How come you never told him you were in love with Kian? If you both were just friends, it wouldn’t have mattered to him.”

I tilt my head, raising my eyebrow in disbelief. “Does he ever talk about his brother? That one topic was even off-limits to me.”

“It’s a sour topic.” He heaves in frustration. “If you knew about his childhood, you’d understand why.”

“Kian isn’t the villain Nathan paints him out to be, Nova.” My protectiveness rises. “None of you has ever bothered or cared to get to know him. If you did, you’d know what an amazing and loyal person he is.”

“Well, he’s going to be in our lives. So, I guess I have no choice but to get to know him.” His own protectiveness surging, he states, “Either way, Nathan will always come first for me. I’m sure he’s done a shitty thing for you to hate him, but he isn’t a villain either. It’s always the circumstances that make one so.”

A shadow falls, then Kian’s deep voice rumbles, “Time’s up, D’Cruz.”

“Happy Birthday, Iris,” Nova says, stepping away from me. “I’ll see you around.”

“Everything good?” Kian demands, taking the other man’s space and pulling me flush against him.