Page 90 of 10 Rings I Hate About You
“If you stare any harder, you’ll burn a hole through her,” Wyatt said, eyes still on his coffee.
“I wasn’t staring.”
His head came up. His face stilled, then tightened at the corners. Not anger. Not confusion. Disbelief, I decided.
I sat down and picked up my fork. My eggs were cold. I ate them anyway.
Wyatt grunted.
“What?” I asked without looking up.
“Adele. Just promised Glamma and Grace she’d bid at the auction.” His jaw rigid, a muscle ticked.
“On whom?”
“She didn’t specify,” he practically growled. “I saw Grace show her a sheet of who the bachelors were.”
“Did you agree to participate in the auction?”
“Fuck no. I offered to do simple tattoos for a couple as part of their winning date. Figured it would get her off my back.” His eyes narrowed, settling on Adele. “Maybe I will though.”
I held in my laughter. Glamma strikes again. She knew directly asking Wyatt to be a bachelor would backfire. So she went for his weakness. Adele.
I set down my fork and waited, tilted my head with what I hoped said,just fucking spill already. “You’ve never said?—”
“And I’m not,” Wyatt snapped.
“Don’t be an asshole. I just want to help.”
Wyatt rubbed at the back of his neck and let out a sigh. “I know. I’m sorry. I just … I can’t talk about it. It’s complicated.”
“You’ve been saying that for a while now,” I said. “At some point, complicated is just a thing you’re choosing.”
I hated seeing my brother like this. But until he was ready to talk or ask for help, there was nothing I could do except be there for him. There were only eighteen months between us. We’d grown up close, and that hadn’t diminished over the years. I’d be there for him when he was finally able to name whatever had broken the tight friendship he’d had with Adele.
Chaos sat directly on my foot and blinked up at me.
“The auction is going to be a disaster,” I finally said.
Wyatt raised his coffee mug. “Absolutley.”
The idea of standing on that stage while people bid on me was deeply unsettling.
Unfortunately, the shelter needed the funding.
And refusing would create unnecessary conflict with Glamma when we both knew I’d give in anyway.
Across the diner, Delaney stood to leave.
Chaos immediately tugged to go toward her.
I tightened my grip on the leash.
Animals tended to have very good instincts.
Which meant if Delaney attended the auction, tomorrow night had the potential to become complicated.
I looked down at Chaos.
