Page 73 of Don't Brake My Heart
I set up in the hotel foyer, responding to emails while also staying close to help Wil if necessary – and yes, to watch out for Colin, even though I had no intention of greeting him with anything other than a distant wave. But Colin wasn’t the first Gallagher I saw.
‘Leesa!’
Looking up from my tablet with a start, I was stunned to see Lori barrelling towards me. For someone who wasn’t particularly tall, Lori filled every room she entered, elbows out, her loud voice carrying. I had always been a little in awe of her.
Scrambling to my feet, I managed to catch her in a hug. The only times I remembered hugging Lori Gallagher were when she’d won. She had never been very touchy-feely – or particularly friendly.
‘You have no idea how good it is to see you!’
‘Hi,’ I managed inadequately, suddenly struck by the echoes of her brother in her features. Lori’s hair was darker, her freckles too. But the crooked smirk must have been a family trademark and her blue eyes were the exact shade of Colin’s.
‘You don’t believe me,’ she accused.
‘Not really?’ I admitted.
Lori barked a laugh and slapped me on the shoulder. ‘You see why I missed you!’
I was still a little mystified.
‘Bonnie had to pick up the slack with the snarky comments this year.’
A pang accompanied her words – for the time when I’d been one of them, in the ugly orange-and-blue kit, stamped with sponsor names, punching out the kilometres for too little pay, unless one of us won something big.
‘It certainly wouldn’t be the women’s team without the sarcasm,’ I quipped flippantly.
‘And it wouldn’t be the men’s team without my idiot brother. Has he been a lot of trouble? I know he was always horrible to you—’
‘No,’ I insisted quickly. ‘He’s been fine.’
She eyed me, making my skin bloom with discomfort and words I could not under any circumstances actually say rose in my throat:I slept with your brother and it was mind-altering, life-changing, erotic fantasy sex!
Sex, which had apparently given me the ability to exaggerate wildly in my own head.
‘You’re a miracle worker, making Colin look mostly normal. You deserve a prize.’
I tried for a laugh, but it came out like a choke, attracting too much attention from Lori.
‘He did something, right?’ she said with a sigh. ‘He went too far? Is that why Dad’s been on his case?’
There were more sparks under my skin at hearing Colin was still having trouble with his father. ‘No, I’m serious. We… cleared the air. I kind of understand him now.’
‘That makes one of us,’ Lori mumbled cautiously.
‘Tony needs to get off his back. I think he’s doing more harm than good.’
‘Leesa K, defending my brother. I never thought I would see the day.’
My face was hot. I hoped – in vain, I knew, given my pale skin – that the temperature didn’t show in my cheeks.
‘Is there… God, what am I even asking?’ Lori’s brow travelled lower and lower as she watched me. ‘Shit, you… and Colin?’
‘It’s nothing. You know Colin.’
‘I thought I did,’ she said, her jaw sagging open. ‘I mean, I thought I knewyou. Holy fuck, you slept with my brother? After everything he did to you?’ She’d thankfully dropped her voice or we would have had the entire floor staring at us. I was worried enough about the walls having ears – or at least people hiding behind the large indoor plant in the corner.
‘It didn’t mean anything and now that it’s the Tour, we’re staying away from each other. Please don’t tell your—’
Before I could finish my sentence, the doors swished open and Colin, Amir and Derek spilled into the room, dragging suitcases and shoving each other in a juvenile display of affection. Everything inside me went still. The weeks on training camp washed over me: every drawled observation, every cheeky look – every touch.
