Chapter 3

I froze where I stood.

A cold prickle crawled up my spine, one inch at a time.

The woman looked like she was smiling.

“I decorated this place to Grant's taste when we moved in. Looks like the two of you have very similar taste.”

So she still remembered that this home had been done up the way I liked it.

But she also remembered how badly Ned had once hurt me.

And now she'd brought him here herself, walked him right through the door.

I drew a deep breath, got my emotions in order, and walked out.

Ned, still looking the place over, saw me first. His face changed and he came straight at me.

“Grant, I'm sorry. You were so angry on the phone, I felt like I had to come over, so I……”

I stepped back, out of reach of his hand.

And just looked, cold-eyed, at Kathleen and the big bag she was carrying.

“What did you bring him here for?”

The woman didn't answer right away. First she took a brand-new pair of men's slippers out of the bag, set them on the floor, then waved Ned over.

Only then did I see the bag was full of toiletries and household things.

Once Ned had the slippers on, she finally answered my question.

“Didn't Ned already tell you? He came to apologize.”

“He even took tomorrow off for it. He wants to use the chance to really clear the air with you.”

She finished and came over, patted my shoulder, a note of reproach in her voice.

“You too. You've been brothers for years. Some things you should just let go of.”

I pressed my lips together and said nothing.

Just went back into the room and started packing.

The woman frowned and came in after me.

“What are you doing?”

“Something came up at work. I'm going in to put in overtime.”

Her frown deepened.

“Overtime on what? Isn't that project of yours down to just wrapping up? Did something go wrong?”

All this time, she'd gotten used to me passing along the various work items from headquarters, picking up new information from it, and adjusting her own direction accordingly.

So without thinking, there was a certain hunger for information in her tone.

“Sorry. I'm under no obligation to tell you.”

She blanked for two seconds, then caught up fast.

“Grant, are you really this petty? The man came all the way here to apologize. You're not actually going to throw him out, are you?”

My face didn't move.

“It's your house. You can invite whoever you want. I'm in no position to say.”

The place had never had my name on it anyway, and I hadn't put a single cent into the renovation.

The design fee I'd given her back then had gone toward the rent for the year I'd been living here.

“So what's the meaning of leaving me and him alone here?”

The woman's arm blocked my way, anger already plain on her face.

I lifted my eyes to her.

“The two of you seem to hit it off just fine.”

“Grant!”

Her voice shot up.

“Ned schemed to get close to me, and wasn't all of that for you? I'm willing to bring him back here, and isn't that for you too?”

“Do you really have to think the worst of people like this?”

From outside the door came the sound of Ned knocking.

“Grant, Kathleen, are you two all right?”

No one answered.

The woman realized she'd lost her composure, took a deep breath, softened her tone.

“He's good at his job, and everyone likes him. He gave me a lot of support on this collaboration.”

“Once you transfer over, getting to know him fresh won't do you any harm.”

“Besides, I've already taken you to meet my parents, and I'm planning for us to settle down this year……even if you don't trust him, don't you trust me?”

I met her eyes.

“I only trust myself.”

And with that I pushed my suitcase past her and headed for the door.

The door opened, and Ned stood a little way off, eyes red, the innocent look on his face pitched just right.

“Grant, do you really not want to see me that badly?”

My steps stopped. I looked straight at him.

“Come to think of it, there's something I've always found strange.”

“Didn't you marry my ex back then? She always hated long distance. You came all the way to this city to work, and she had no problem with that?”

Kathleen, standing beside me, was clearly stunned.

“Ned, you were married?”

Ned's face went dark, then pale.

The eyes that had been “innocent and bright” a moment ago couldn't quite hold the smile now.

He recovered fast, put on a defeated look.

“We divorced a long time ago.”

It didn't surprise me in the least.

My gaze just settled lightly on the luggage on the sofa.

That was Ned's.

Through the half-open zipper, a pair of men's designer underwear showed.

I smiled.

The woman's eyes followed mine.

Then her breath caught.

I had no intention of admiring how remarkable the expression on her face was. I just started walking again, out the door.

Behind me came Ned's increasingly aggrieved plea for me to stay.

“Grant, don't go, all right? I only wanted to talk——”

I cut him off.

“I'll leave the place to you. The two of you have a good talk tonight.”

The instant I opened the door, the woman's furious shout rang out behind me.

“Grant, if you dare walk out that door, don't ever come back.”

I didn't look back. My voice was steady.

“Fine.”