Meadow’s POV:


    It was already dark by the time Nn drove me back to ric’s house. I’d wanted to spend the night at


    Nova’s apartment to take care of her, but that was out of the question for Nn. And eventually, Nova


    had to convince me to leave, saying she was already feeling better.


    Now, we were back, and I wished I could be anywhere but here. It was easier during the day, when Mel


    would be around making healthy noises as she worked around the house, doing things that didn’t even


    need to be done.


    Even the bodyguards were some kind of constion. At least, I wasn’t alone.


    But at night–that was when the loneliness set in. This was a fucking mansion, and I had to sleep in it


    alone.


    “Are you okay?” Nn asked from the driver’s seat.


    I turned to nce at him, giving him a polite smile. “Uh, yeah. Yeah I’m fine.” I started to reach for the


    handle, but I paused. “And thank you for your help today, Nn. I know you didn’t have to, but you did.”


    He gave a half hearted smirk. “Well, you’re my sister–inw, aren’t you?” He paused. “You’re family now.”


    Something thick lodged itself in my throat. Nn calling me family didn’t feel as weird as I thought it


    would feel.


    My heart fluttered. Maybe Nn didn’t… hate me, after all.


    He looked away, clearing his throat awkwardly. “Speaking of, you wanna tell me what’s going on between


    <b>you </b>and my brother and why the hell he’s using me as a buffer?”


    I scoffed. “Not just you. He’s using everyone as a buffer. Trip, the prison guards…” he chuckled at that. I


    continued. “Mel. You know he told her to make sure I don’t miss any meals? So I have to eat breakfast and


    dinner, sometimes lunch, even when I don’t feel like eating. He’s treating me like a goddamn child.”


    I had no idea why I was telling Nn this, but the words were already out and there was no way to take


    them back.


    I ran my hand through my hair. “The worst part is, he isn’t even speaking to me. And he was the one who


    hurt me.”


    By the time I turned back to face Nn, he was already staring at me with an amused glint in his eyes.


    “What?<b>” </b>I asked.


    “Nothing.” He shook his head, turning off the ignition. “I’m just fucking relieved that it’s not all flowers and rainbows with you two.”


    I shot him a re and he rolled his eyes, stepping out of the car. I followed suit. “Look, I’m not good at the whole pep talk thing, but I will say my brother has ws. Huge fucking ones. But I’ve seen him with my family, and I’ve seen him with you.”


    I swallowed.


    “And at first, I was doubtful of this entire rtionship, but I forced myself <i>to </i>stop worrying. Ric can feel you, and I can tell he cares about you. That’s all that matters to me.” His voice lowered. “Lord knows he deserves a bit of happiness.”


    My heart swelled, and then it panged as goosebumps spread across my skin. I crossed my arms over my chest to hide my anxiety. A look crossed Nn’s eyes that I couldn’t decipher, but then his eyes shifted behind me.


    And he froze.


    “Schei?e.”


    “What?” I asked automatically, even though I already knew that there was only one thing that would make Nn curse like that.


    I turned around to see ric standing right there. The front door was wide open and he had just stepped out of it, standing near the stairs as he watched us.


    I wasn’t prepared to see him, and now that I did, I forgot how to breathe.


    Had it really been that long?


    A dark look crossed his eyes, making him look like a handsome devil in his ck t–shirt and pants.


    “Look,” Nn started, stepping toward him. “Before you get pissed-”


    “What part of ‘check in and leave‘ was not clear to you, Nn?”


    “Her friend was sick,” he responded. “And if I hadn’t gotten here, your damn bodyguards wouldn’t have let her leave.”


    ric wasn’t looking at me, he was only looking at his brother. He continued to act as if I didn’t exist.” And you failed to inform me about it because?”


    I spoke before I could think twice about it. “Well, you failed to inform me of my sister’s release, so we’re even, aren’t we?”


    Slowly, I made my way up the steps, Nn following behind me.


    When I looked up again, his brow was arched at his brother, like he was still waiting for a response from


    him.


    Like I hadn’t even spoken.


    “You’re right. I should’ve informed you. But cut me some ck, alright? I kept her safe.”


    My hands were trembling, and I curled them into fists, hating how much this was affecting me. How


    much I wanted him to look at me. Needed him to look at me.


    But he didn’t.


    Nn blew out a breath. “If there aren’t any more questions, I’m going to take my leave.”


    I turned to Nn, forcing a smile at him. “Thanks again, Nn.” I was only a few feet away from ric,


    but I could feel the tension radiating from his muscles.


    My eyes dragged down his tattooed arm, and thennded on his knuckles. They were still bruised, but


    they looked less horrible than they did that night.


    And with one final re at the side of his face, I stormed into the house, mming the door hard enough


    for even me to flinch.


    I headed straight for the stairs. I needed to take my mind off this.


    ALARIC’S POV:


    My brother started to descend the steps again, but he suddenly halted. “What the fuck is wrong with you?” he demanded.


    I didn’t answer his question. Instead, I tilted my head at him. “Take her out again without telling me first,


    and we’re going to have a big fucking problem, Nn.”


    “Got it,” he retorted. “All you’ve done is speak to me. When are you going to say a word to your wife?”


    “Exactly. Key word–my wife. It’s none of your concern, Nn.”


    My brother shrugged his shoulders, raising his hands up in defense. “Alright. I will leave you with this,


    though. She cares about you too much, and I just spent minutes tooting your fucking horn and telling her how much you care about her too. And what you just did trumped all my efforts. Fucking fix it. That’s all I’m saying, Ric.”


    That was all he said before he went down the steps and into his car, driving off almost immediately.


    It was only after he waspletely gone that I ran my hands down my face in frustration.


    I already nned to fix things with Meadow. I came back earlier than I initially wanted to just because of her. I couldn’t think, couldn’t work, couldn’t fucking breathe without her near me. And when I checked the camera footage and didn’t see her in the house, I almost lost it before I found out where she went with


    my brother.


    Still, I couldn’t stay away anymore. I needed to see her, feel her. So I took the jet back to Seattle.


    And then she finally came home, and I saw her, and I justpletely… froze.


    Watching Meadow through the cameras waspletely different from seeing her in person. I wanted to


    yank her toward me and kiss her until her lips were sore.


    But instead, I gave her the cold shoulder and pretended not to care.


    I saw how it fucking hurt her.


    Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I checked the cameras again to see if she was in her room.


    She wasn’t.


    Not in the living room, kitchen or anymon area.


    That only left one ce. The ce she’d been going to every night for the past few nights before she


    retired to bed.


    I pulled up the footage for the indoor pool.


    And there she was.