She bit her lip. “Well, I guess I…I mean, I do have enough money saved up, not just in terms of capital but also to support myself for a couple of years if I’m unemployed…”
Her voice trailed off, and Aidan could see that sharp brain of hers kicking into gear, working over the idea. A spark of pride ignited in his chest. Goddamn, this woman was incredible. It was impossible to knock her down.
Or at least that’s what he thought before Claire’s phone rang.
She leaned forward and grabbed the iPhone from the coffee table, then frowned. “It’s my dad.” In the blink of an eye, her face went a shade paler. “You don’t think…he wouldn’t have…?”
Without finishing, she answered the phone with a quick, “Hey, Dad. What’s up?”
When she gasped, the answer to the questions she hadn’t been able to voice became clearer than a Times Square billboard.
Would Chris go to Claire’s parents?
Yes, he would. And yes, he had.
Aidan suddenly felt sick. He couldn’t hear a word Claire’s father was saying, which reminded him of what she’d said about Ron McKinley’s tendency to talk in a scarily quiet voice when he was angry.
“Dad—”
Whatever her father cut her off with brought a flash of panic to Claire’s eyes.
Her voice trembled as she tried again. “Dad—” She paused, then made a strangled sound. “Fine! Yes, it’s true. Is that what you want to hear?”
Aidan’s heart dropped to the pit of his stomach. When he glanced over at Dylan, he saw deep distress digging a groove into the other man’s forehead.
“Can I please talk to her? Please, just put Mom on the phone.” Claire listened for a moment before her entire face collapsed. “Can I at least come home so we can talk about it?” Ashen, she awaited a reply. Her eyes welled up with tears. “I can’t do that, Daddy…No, don’t say that…I—”
She halted, then turned to Aidan in shock. “He hung up on me.”
Aidan tried to pull her close again, but this time she rejected his comfort. She jerked up to her feet, two trails of moisture sliding down her porcelain cheeks.
“Chris showed up at their house and told them about us.” A splash of bitterness crept into her tone. “I don’t know why he decided to wait two weeks to drop the bomb, but apparently this has been a busy day for him.”
Dylan stood up slowly. “What did your father say?”
“He said he’s disappointed and horrified by my behavior, and that he’ll never approve of what I’m doing.” She brushed away her tears with her knuckles. “He ordered me to end it. I said I couldn’t do that, and that’s when he told me that as long as I’m involved with the two of you, I’m not welcome in his house.”
Aidan’s heart throbbed with agony. Shit.
He took a step toward her, as did Dylan, but she held up one trembling hand to stop them.
“No. I can’t do this right now. I know you guys want to help, but…I…” She took a breath. “But I just need to be alone.”
And then she hurried out of the room, leaving him and Dylan standing there helplessly.
Hands-down, this was the day from hell. A never-ending nightmare. She’d gotten fired, her dad had pretty much disowned her—what was going to happen next? Was a meteor going to crash into her rental car? Would the ceiling cave in on her head? Would the dog she didn’t own get hit by a car?
Oh, hush. Self-pity doesn’t become you.
Claire inhaled a long, deep breath and sat on Dylan’s bed. She’d gone into his room rather than Aidan’s because she hadn’t wanted to see the tangled sheets on the king-sized bed she’d been sharing with her men.
Yep, her men, as her father had referred to them.
If you don’t end it with those men of yours, you’re not welcome in my house, Claire.
Blinking through a new onslaught of tears, she keyed in the password to unlock her phone and quickly brought up her mother’s number. Her dad had refused to put Nora on the phone, but Claire prayed her mom would at least answer her cell.
To her overwhelming relief, Nora’s voice came on the line. “Claire! What on earth is going on over there? Chris came by and told us the most disturbing things.”
“Where’s Dad?” Claire asked. “Why didn’t he let you talk to me before?”
“He’s upset, sweetie. I didn’t want to force the issue when he refused to give me the phone. But he went to take a walk to clear his head, so we have some time.” Nora paused. “Your father said you confirmed everything Chris said. Is that true?”
She swallowed. “Yes.”
“You’re involved with Chris’s brother, then? And…and his roommate?”
“Yes.”
There was another pause, followed by a heavy sigh. “Oh, sweetie, what are you doing?”
“I…” Her voice cracked. “It’s complicated.”
“It’s wrong, that’s what it is. You need to stop this. Put an end to it now.”
“I can’t.”
“Yes, you can. Just come home, Claire. I know the breakup with Chris was difficult, and obviously it had more of an effect on you than we thought. You’re confused and you’re not thinking clearly.”