Page 167 of Severed Heart

“Yes, they are the very good kind.” I sniff and smile as I take the seat.

“I’m so excited.” She gives me a wink as my own excitement builds, and I admit as much.

“You are making me very excited, too,” I tell her.

“Good, then it’s a date,” she continues, cradling my dripping hair with a towel and gently pressing it to my head to soak up the water before pulling it away. As she does this, I gape at my reflection as her eyes light.

“Mon Dieu,”My God, I say, disbelieving of the differences of the slight effect of the facial, wax, and hair color.

“Told you,” she boasts proudly. “The miracle of modern cosmetology, and we’re nowhere near done,” she assures as she starts brushing out my newly black hair. A mischievous glint twinkles in her eyes as she lowers her head next to mine in the mirror, her chin an inch above my shoulder. “Oh, to be a fly on the wall when he sees you tonight.”

Chapter Forty-Four

TYLER

DOM AND SEANstand idly by in the driveway, exhaling mixed smokes while eating up some of their last few hours stateside as the movers latch the back of the truck before they pull off.

“You’ll watch over her,” Sean prompts for the umpteenth time, inhaling an exaggerated drag of his cigarette as I sigh and nod.

Dom remains wordless, burning down his joint just as excessively while wearing every bit of his brother’s wrath in his worn frame. Some part of me is hoping alongside them that T will pop up—possibly changing his mind and orders at the last minute. Then again, after personally enduring Tobias’s birdside manner the past few weeks that he gave Dom and Sean to prepare for their exile, I know better.

“I may be going along with this shit, but I won’t let her out of my sight. Not for a single fucking day.” Dom looks over to me then. “You have my word,” I declare to them both.

“Do you think he’ll forgive us?” Sean prompts.

“The best thing you can do is not miss that plane. That’s all I really know right now, man.”

Dom flicks his joint, his words for us both as he stalks past. “I’m going to do one last sweep and take a piss. I’ll be right back.”

“Hurry up,” Sean calls after him, “we need to hit the garage before we go.” Sean turns to me. “Thanks for getting our shit somewhere in the meantime.”

“I’ll put the boxes Dom marked back at Delphine’s and stick the rest in storage. You’ll both have a fresh start of your choosing when you get back.”

He nods, the worry in his eyes one I recognize, but he doesn’t speak it aloud, having spent the last two weeks making peace with it. Sean pulls me into him and claps my back. “Love you, brother.”

“Hang in there, man. It’s just another hurdle,” I tell him, “and she’s worth it.”

“Yeah, she is,” he agrees easily. “So fucking worth it.”

“Then go.” I nod toward his Nova. “The sooner you leave, the sooner you can get back to her.”

His nod is solemn, and I feel for him as he looks over at me.

“All of this is on me. I’m sorry, Tyler. I am, but I can’t bring myself to regret it other than hurting him, and that’s fucking hell to live with too ...fuck.” He glides his hand again through his thoroughly jacked hair.

“I know,” I say, “head down but chin up. You’d be surprised how much you can endure for a woman who’s worth it.”

“Says the man who’s been to hell and back for his own,” he utters low as I go stock still. “I’m pulling for you.”

I remain mute as Sean eyes the townhouse, no doubt to make sure Dom’s out of range as he nudges me. “Come on, man. Ever wonder why I’ve asked about your hookups but never once asked you if you’ve been in love? It’s because I knew that answer.”

“When?” I ask, barely above a whisper.

“I spotted you looking over at her across that kitchen table one day and fucking knew. It was clear as day, and fuck how you hid it so well—almost too well. Well enough to make me doubt it, but that look you gave beat the guise hand over fist. To anyone who wasn’t looking, they might never have noticed, but I’m a man who fucking loves his brothers enough to notice.”

“Me too.” I blow out a harsh exhale, realizing just how horribly I’ve hidden my affection for Delphine over the years. Apparently,everyonefucking knew.

“Ten months, fuck.” He pulls me into a longer bro-hug before he stalks to his driver’s door, taking one last look at the townhouse before entering and revving up his Nova. For a brief moment, I resent T and his fucked punishment, already missing them both despite the nightmare roommate situation. We’ve been apart for years already, and our fucking planning is just paying off. But even for and to me, this punishmentisfitting of the crime, so I try to let it go.