26

Kellan's POV

I stood out front of Brian's penthouse, the guilt heavy in my chest. I reached out and rang the doorbell, waited as the speech that had replayed a thousand times in my head went into repeat mode. The door opened and Brian was greeting me, his eyes cold, detached. He stood in the doorway, blocking my line of vision from Olivia, but I knew she just stood behind him.

"Kellan," Brian said coolly; his voice colder than a well below freezing in winter.

"Brian," I returned, forcing myself to keep my gaze on his-skating to Olivia. She was standing back silent, her eyes to the floor. Of course she wouldn't say anything to me. Yet for some reason that still bothered me more than it should.

Brian moved aside, and I went in. It was obvious that the tension was already more thickly laid on than treacle. Abstracted, I turned toward the living room, deliberately taking my time over choosing a way of starting.