Innocence Defied (New York) by Lainey Reese

Author:Lainey Reese [Reese, Lainey]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
Published: 2013-07-16T06:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty

By the time Gage walked into the living room where Brice and Terryn waited, Brice had pulled himself together and was halfway through a shot of whiskey.

“Still can’t think of a thing to say to you, Brice.” Gage stood in the middle of the room and faced him head-on. He could think of no excuse because he knew there was none. Curiously, though, he also felt no need to apologize. It probably made him wrong as hell but to apologize was to say he regretted being with Zoe and would change it if he could, and that was just not the truth. He didn’t regret a single moment they’d had, nor would he change any of it. If that made him wrong then, there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about that.

“I’ve known you since we were kids,” Brice said, looking at him with contempt. “You were there the day she was brought home from the hospital. How could you do this?”

His question was full of anguish and Gage felt his heart break a little. Not a man in the world he loved more than the one standing before him.

Zoe walked in just then and he realized that his world had been upside down and inside out since the moment he’d picked her up at the airport.

Brice looked at her and Gage saw his expression tighten when he noticed the look on her face.

“Christ, what a mess,” her brother exclaimed and set his drink down before reaching out and wrapping her in his arms. “Oops, baby,” he said, kissing her on the top of her head as she burrowed in and hugged him. “I’m sorry if I hurt you up there. I’m still pissed and you are in serious trouble but you know I love you, right?” He waited until she nodded then said, “Good. I do, I love you ‘til I’m stupid with it and if you doubted that for even a second up there, I don’t think I could live with myself.”

“I’m sorry, Brice.” Zoe broke with a sob. “I’m so sorry I did this. It’s all my fault. Please don’t be mad anymore. Please?” She pulled back and looked up at her brother with tears pouring down her face, and Gage saw Brice flinch from the impact. “I did this. It was all me. I planned all along to get to stay here so Gage and I could be alone. I have been in love with him so long and I just couldn’t wait anymore. Please don’t be mad at him.” She turned those tear-flooded blue eyes toward him and Gage was as helpless against their impact as Brice had been.

“I love him. I know you think it’s a crush and I’ll grow out of it but you’re wrong. It’s real.” She looked back at her brother. “It’s as real as what you feel for Terryn and what Cade and Trevor feel for Riley. And you should know that I’m not sorry we were together, I’m only sorry that us being together hurts you so much.

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