When We Kiss by Darcy Burke Page A

I’m sorry. Really, everything’s fine.”
    She didn’t look at him. “Sure.”
    He gritted his teeth and ate his pizza. He also polished off his beer and stood up to get another.
    â€œWould you mind pulling a pitcher?” Dad asked as Liam went to the bar.
    â€œMake that two,” Derek called.
    Liam nodded. As he pulled the tap and filled the pitchers, he couldn’t shake the sense of irritation that his conversation with Kyle had wrought. He hated that Whitney was trying to manipulate him. He refused to be managed.
    When both pitchers were full he carried them back to the table, setting one at each end. “Hey, I need to tell you all something.”
    Kyle’s head snapped up, and Liam gave him a subtle nod. Kyle nodded back, and his gaze was both approving and supportive. This brotherly . . . camaraderie between them was different. Liam had always felt it with Alex, but they’d been identical twins. Their bond was special. He hadn’t thought he could share that with his other siblings, but maybe he was wrong.
    â€œListen, about the zoning problem with the Parkers . . . ”
    â€œYou mean Russ Parker,” Dad said darkly, his mouth hardening with anger.
    â€œI mean Russ and his daughter, Whitney. She and I used to, uh, we used to see each other.” He glanced at Aubrey to see her reaction, but she kept her head down. Damn it, he wanted her to look at him so he could tell her—nonverbally—that Whitney didn’t mean anything.
    He did? What did he care what Aubrey thought?
    Because he’d just intimated that he and Whitney had dated, which is more than what he’d done with Aubrey. He supposed he should’ve just said they’d been fuck buddies, but he couldn’t bring himself to articulate that in front of his parents.
    He felt like the biggest ass. Why hadn’t he dated Aubrey? Because she lived here in Ribbon Ridge, where he never planned to live again, and his home was in Denver. It wasn’t like she could pick up and move. One, she wasn’t licensed to practice law in Colorado, and two, that promised something he wasn’t prepared to offer: permanence or at least longevity.
    â€œWhen was this?” Mom asked.
    â€œA couple of years ago. Before Alex died. I broke things off with her that Christmas.” Why did it feel like his life had two distinct parts now? Before Alex’s death and after. They had two very specific feelings. In the first, he’d been more carefree. Now he was burdened. No, that wasn’t exactly true. He’d always felt burdened. Guilty.
    Stop it , he told himself. He wasn’t going down that path. Not today. Not ever again. Alex’s death had at least relieved him of that weight.
    â€œYou think she’s behind this?” Tori asked, sitting back in her chair.
    Everyone was staring at him, he realized. Everyone but Aubrey. Why had he done this now? Why hadn’t he thought to tell her first? Alone, when he could’ve explained things a little bit better. She deserved that.
    â€œNot entirely, but I don’t think she’s blameless. She intimated that I could maybe make this problem go away if I get back with her.” He tried to make it sound like what it was—a meaningless hook-up without saying that exactly. Damn it, this entire conversation was making him feel decidedly unpleasant. Dirty even.
    â€œYikes.” Kyle took a drink of beer. “None of us want you to do that, bro.”
    There were answering nods and comments.
    Dylan shook his head, grimacing. “She sounds like a piece of work.”
    Tori made a distasteful expression, her lips twisting. “I think I have a sports bra from her company. I’m tossing that in the garbage as soon as I get home.”
    â€œI might have one, too,” Sara said. “Let’s burn them.”
    â€œI’ll light the fire,” Liam said.
    Aubrey glanced at him finally, but her eyes were