Page 116 of Pretty Mess

Pain explodes, white hot and dizzying. “Shit,” I choke. I lose my balance and fall to the floor. “Ow,” I mutter, holding my cheek.

“Wes.” There’s a flurry of movement and Mac appears on his knees beside me. His expression is frantic. “Are you okay?” he gasps. “No, let me see.” He gently prises my fingers away from my face.

My brother slumps at my other side, a bloody hand to his nose.

“Can you get him a tissue?” I ask Mac. He hesitates for a second and then grabs one from the box on the table and hands it to my brother. Tyler holds it to his nose, and the tissue immediately turns red. Mac grimaces and sets the whole box on Tyler’s lap.

“I’m so sorry.” Tyler says in a nasally voice. “I’m so sorry,” he says again.

I reach out and pat his arm. “It was my fault. Ouch!” I flinch when Mac touches my face gently.

“Be still,” he orders. “Let me look.”

I subside, hearing Tyler’s frantic breathing loud in the suddenly quiet room.

“Okay,” I tell Mac. “But look with your eyes and not your bloody sausage fingers.”

His mouth twitches, and he touches my cheekbone gently. “You’re going to have a bruise.”

“I can’tbelievethis,” Tyler says, still a tissue to his face. “Mum would be so mad at me.”

“She’d be mad at you forthis?” I say incredulously.

I jerk away from Mac when he cups my cheek. “Ouch, that hurt,” I scold him.

I turn back to my brother. “I love you, Tyler.”

Mac goes rigid, but I ignore him. “You’re my brother, and I willalwayslove you,” I tell Tyler.

Now Mac’s hand tightens on my shoulder, but I keep staring at Tyler. “But if you think this, of all the things you’ve done in the past six months, is what Mum would be mad about, you’re a bigger twat than recent events would suggest.”

He sighs, and the weary sound hurts my soul. I lean into him, and he puts his head gently against mine in a defeated gesture. Mac hovers close, watching us intently.

“It’s true, isn’t it?” Tyler says.

“What’s true?” I ask, tearing my gaze away from Mac.

A spark of anger appears in Tyler’s eyes as he looks at my silent protector. “This fucker is keeping you here. This is where the money came from for Ben.”

Mac sucks in a breath, but I ignore him. Shit, I need to do damage control super quickly.

“Don’t be so bloody stupid,” I snap.

“What?”

“It’s like you’ve been reading Aunty Sue’s mafia romances. Grow a brain cell, for god’s sake, or your other one will get lonely.”

“So…?” He falters.

I glare at him. “So? Did you mean to say sorry for having such a ridiculous idea? As if I’d hook myself out. Tyler, you know me.Mac isn’t my punter. He’s my—” I hesitate. “He’s myboyfriend,” I say firmly.

Mac goes completely still, but I can’t look at him, fearing I’ll give the game away. Instead, I hold my brother’s gaze. “I’ve been seeing him for a while.”

He stares at both of us. “Since when?”

“Since ages. When all the shit kicked off, I turned to him for help. He’s letting me stay here, Tyler. It’s his flat, but he doesn’t live here. He’s beenreallygood to me.” The honesty is stark in my voice because it’s the truth. The situation I found myself in could have gone even more wrong. I could have ended up with someone who didn’t care and treated me cruelly. Instead, I got Mac, who might be emotionally unavailable but has still always been good to me. “He’s kind to me,” I say.

Tyler slumps. “I’m sorry for hitting you,” he says to Mac.