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the ceiling. “Raine, I love both of you, but you need your heads smashing together. I didn’t plan anything, although I should have. For some reason I’ve kept your asinine secret, but now Teo’s back I think you owe it to him to come clean. Cut him free totally if that’s what you want. However, if you still have feelings for him, don’t push him away.”
    “What are you, my shrink?”
    For a split second Dustin looked offended, and then his eyes clouded with annoyance. “No. I’m the person stuck in the middle between my brother and my best friend, and it’s only going to get worse with you both in the same country. I’m not choosing sides, so it would be a hell of a lot easier if you figured a way out of this limbo sometime soon.”
    Dustin stalked back towards his bedroom. He didn’t slam the door, but he didn’t shut it gently either. The forceful click of the lock turning felt like a smack in the face. With it, everything I’d done to him forced its way into my mind. I’d put him in a difficult position and I was continually doing it. He’d stood by me for so long I’d never stopped to think about what the consequences were for him, and it couldn’t have been easy.
    Guilt welled in my throat. Everything he’d said stabbed my heart and twisted deeper. I hadn’t moved on. Seeing Teo today only proved that. However, I didn’t want to believe Dustin’s words that Teo hadn’t either.
    With a sigh, I slumped into my room and collapsed face first on my bed.
     
    * * *
     
    It was a few hours later when muffled voices drifted through the thin wood of my door. I couldn’t hear what they were saying and was curious as to who Dustin would invite over.
    “Hey, Dustin, is that Nadine?” I shouted, pacing towards the kitchen where I could hear the clanging of mugs. Appearing in the doorway, I jumped back with a squeal. The tensed, muscular back and short brown hair definitely didn’t belong to Nadine.
    “W-w-what are you doing here?” Great, I’d developed a stutter. It took all of the fury from my words, making me sound like a bumbling idiot. Heat flared in my cheeks and I wanted the floor to open up and swallow me whole.
    Both of the guys turned to face me. From the corner of my eye I caught Dustin’s smirk. I couldn’t see his mouth behind the mug as he brought it to his lips, yet his eyes were crinkled in amusement. Most of my attention was focused on Teo. He leaned back against the counter with a dark, unreadable expression. The grip he had on his mug was too tight, and his jaw locked in anger.
    Like he even had the right to be angry. He was the one standing in my kitchen.
    “He’s picking me up. We’re going out for a drink,” Dustin stated bluntly when it became clear we were only going to remain staring at each other.
    Breaking the connection with Teo, I rounded on Dustin with a glower. “And you couldn’t have met him wherever you’re going?”
    “This is my home too, Raine. If I want to invite my brother here I can.”
    This wasn’t a coincidence. I had believed him earlier, but this was too much. He was doing this on purpose, and the thought that Dustin was beginning to change sides had my heart constricting painfully.
    Why was he doing this to me?
    After so many months of support, I thought he’d be the last person to betray me.
    “Wait. You’re living with her? ” Teo barked at Dustin, his nostrils flaring.
    I assumed Dustin would have told him about our living situation. Then again, it was only today he’d betrayed me.
    Guilt flooded Dustin’s face. He lowered his gaze to the rim of his mug, not responding.
    I should have hated myself for making him choose between family and friends, but I didn’t.
    When neither of us responded, Teo spoke again. “How long have you been living together?”
    “Almost a year now.”
    Teo stiffened, taking in a sharp breath. He turned his murderous gaze on me, his usually warm eyes icy. “Is that why you left me? To be with him? You two