“Leighanne, you’re being childish!”

“Am I, Brian? Am I really being childish? I come into a house and find you in bed with another woman and you think I’m being childish when I get upset?”

“I wasn’t ‘in bed’ with her,” Brian argued. “We were just . . . well, Kassy and I have always slept in the same bed whenever we’re over each other’s houses. We’re best friends! It’s not like anything would ever happen!”

“Brian, you were a teenager when you did that! You’re twenty-five!”

“So? Nothing’s changed!”

“Nothing’s changed?!?! How the hell can you tell me that nothing’s changed? It’s been five years!!” Sighing, Brian flopped down on the sofa in Kassy’s den.

Leighanne had come back from New York earlier and had gone to the hotel, only to discover that the guys weren’t there. She’d talked to one of the bodyguards and had gotten Kassy’s address. Kevin, being the only one who actually liked to wake up before noon, had answered the door when Leighanne knocked. Storming right past him, without a word, she had opened every door in the house until she’d discovered Brian, who had still been asleep in Kassy’s room. Being the light sleeper he is, he’d woken up at the first creek in the door, but Leighanne had stormed down the steps before he’d had a chance to say anything. Luckily for him, he had been fast enough to catch her before she ran out the door.

“Leighanne, honey, I swear. Nothing happened.”

“He’s right.” Kassy was standing in the doorway, dressed in sweatpants and a ragged basketball jersey. “Nothing happened. It was completely innocent.”

“Like I’m supposed to believe you,” Leighanne growled. With a final glare at Brian, she stormed out of the house. Kassy winced as the door slammed behind her. She looked over at Brian, who was still sitting on the couch, his legs jouncing up and down. He was fiddling with his hands. Kassy sighed, not happy with what she was about to say.

“Go after her.” Brian looked up, his eyes hopeful. Kassy nodded, reluctantly. “Just go.” At least Brian took the time to give her a quick hug before chasing after his girlfriend. Swallowing back the lump that had formed in her throat, Kassy went over and sat down on the couch, pulling her knees up to her chest and resting her forehead on them.

“You shouldn’t have done that.” Kassy looked up at the sound of Kevin’s voice. He had went up stairs to get washed up when the Leighanne fiasco had started. His hair was slicked back from a shower and he looked freshly shaven. She shook her head.

“I had to.”

“No, you didn’t,” he said, leaning against the doorjamb. “He doesn’t love her.”

“I hate to tell ya, Kev, but he does. Did you see how fast he bolted out the door?” Kevin snickered, walking over to the couch. Taking his hands out of his pockets, he put them on Kassy’s shoulders, leaning down and shoving his face in hers.

“Kassy, you know who he loves and it certainly isn’t her,” he said, his voice soft, but firm. Closing her eyes for a moment, she then opened them and was staring straight into Kevin’s pale-green eyes. They stayed in that position for a few moments before Kevin sighed and pulled back. Kassy knew it would work. She was the only one they knew that could actually stare the older man down. “Kassy, what can I do to make you believe that it’s you he loves?”

“He doesn’t.”

“Okay, so let’s just hypothetically say he does,” Kevin said, trying to reason with her. “What would I be able to do to make you believe me.”

Kassy began to protest. “He doesn’t lo-“

“Hypothetically,” Kevin demanded. Kassy sighed.

“Fine, if he hypothetically loved me, he’d have to admit it to me,” Kassy said. “Face to-face.” Letting her feet fall to the floor, Kassy stood up. “Not, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go get some decent clothes on.” Walking past Kevin, she headed up the stairs.

Great, Kevin thought, throwing his hands up in frusteration. That shouldn’t be too hard. Marking Brian admit his feelings for her to her. Of course, Kevin would have to make his cousin admit them to himself first.