I’m physically shaking.

I am not seeing this. I’m not, I’m not, I’m not.

I can’t be.

Cal loves her. I love her, too—she’s the sister I never had.

I can’t even conjure up any nasty or unkind thoughts about her right now, even with the truth before me. One aisle over. The truth that’s laughing and simpering and giggling like a flirty teenager. I love Greyson so much that I don’t have the heart to storm over and confront her for being a lying, cheating, backstabbing…

Ugh.

I stare up at the ceiling of the store at the fluorescent bulbs now blinding my eyes, and I pull the brim of my hot-pink hat down to shield my eyes, debating my options.

I can’t even think about her being a cheater.

Horrible.

I think I’m going to retch all over the floor in this aisle.

Oh sweet baby Jesus.

I inhale and exhale slowly, trying to catch my breath—the way I did in college after I’d had too much to drink and was trying to stop myself from barfing. I stand like this until my queasy stomach subsides, and the pukey feeling passes.

My lids flutter open.

What do I do? What the hell do I do? This is my brother’s girlfriend, the center of his whole world, the love of his life. I cannot tell him she’s cheating on him. I cannot tell him what I just saw—but at the same time, I can’t un-see it.

I also can’t stand here all day, hiding behind the bean bag chairs and pillows with a cart full of unpaid toiletries, as Greyson and that hot guy idly stroll, aisle after aisle, laughing and flirting and touching each other with familiarity.

There goes his laugh again. Deep and rich and amused.

Happy.

I thought Greyson was happy—happy with Cal.

Shit.

And suddenly, here they are. A million uncharitable thoughts race through my brain as I hide, concealed from their view. How dare she? How long has this been going on? How can she so brazenly flaunt this guy in public, where anyone could bump into them? What do I tell my brother?

My brother, who has never been in love until now. My brother, who has never let anyone into his heart. He will be crushed. Devastated won’t even begin to cover it.

Cal will never trust anyone again.

My chest tightening and heart breaking, I take another deep, stabilizing breath and try to recall some of the breathing techniques I learned in yoga class. And… I got nothin’.

Crap.

Why don’t I ever pay attention in that dumb class? In through the nose, out through the mouth… in through the nose, out through the mouth.

I peek my head around the corner to catch a glimpse of them.

Greyson and that dark-haired hottie.

Shit, he’s deliciously attractive.

He’s tall and broad with thick, dark brown hair and sexy black sunglasses propped on top of his head. Greyson has her blonde head resting against his wide shoulder. A large hand slides around my brother’s girlfriend’s waist, giving her an affectionate squeeze.

I hate it. I hate how comfortable they obviously are with each other.

How the hell can my brother compete with a guy as handsome as that?

I glare at them, sick to my stomach and wanting to vom, then plaster myself back up against the shelf with a shaking breath. A sharp price tag stabs me in the back, jolting me out of my angry stupor.

Why the hell am I the one hiding? I’m not the one doing anything wrong!

Another rich laugh fills the air, coming from the next aisle over, and I steady myself. Straighten my spine. Count down from three.

Two.

One.

I step out into the main aisle, plastering on a wide smile when I come face to face with Greyson and this homewrecking asshole.

“Greyson! Hi!” My voice comes out saccharine sweet, sounding hollow, fake, and robotic as I try my best to act surprised to see them. Surprised but cheerful. Definitely cheerful.

Gag.

“Oh my gosh! Tabitha!” Greyson gasps, delighted, and steps out from behind the cart, coming around it to embrace me. “It’s so good to see you!”

Hmm, she sounds suspiciously joyful. For a lying, backstabbing cheater.

“Hey.” My body is stiff, arms clutching the toiletries that haven’t yet made it into my cart. I glance between the two of them bitterly from under the brim of my cap. “What are you doing in town? So far from school?”

She and my brother are in college three hours away, but coincidentally, our parents only live twenty minutes apart from each other.

Imagine that.

Greyson’s painfully attractive date’s eyes linger on me with rapt interest, his hazel irises checking me out from head to toe, landing on my chest a heartbeat too long, his high cheekbones taking on a rosy glow before jerking his gaze away.

Of all the nerve!

What. An. Asshole.

“We’re getting odds and ends for his condo,” Greyson replies slowly, stepping out of our embrace and narrowing her eyes as she studies me. My brother’s girlfriend might be stupidly gorgeous, but she’s definitely not stupid. “Tabitha, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” I lie, shaking out of her grasp. “Who’s your friend?” Agitated, I begin tapping my foot on the hard tile, biting my tongue.

Greyson’s lip’s part, and I brace myself for her lie.

“You mean Collin?” Confused, she looks back and forth between him and me, apprehension marring her beautiful face. “Tabitha, I’m not sure—”

“How could you?” I hiss in a whisper.

Her expressive eyes get wide. “How could I what?”

“Oh my god, seriously?” I raise my palms in frustration, the deodorant, hairspray, and toothpaste falling to the ground with noisy, hollow clangs. The metal hairspray can bounces, rolls, and hits the adjacent metal shelf, but I don’t even care.

“How could you do this to my brother? He loves you!” It takes every ounce of my self-control not to have an outburst, but based on the shrill sound coming out of my mouth, I’m not successful.

“Tabitha, tell me what’s wrong, please. You’re scaring me,” Greyson implores, reaching for my arm.

I jerk it away.

Upset and near hysterics, I turn to leave, bending with a sob to snatch my purchases off the ground. “Whatever you’re going to say, save it, okay? Enjoy your ridiculously good-looking boy toy. I’ll be there to pick up my brother’s broken pieces after you break his heart into a million little shards.”

I turn to stalk away.

“What!” Greyson gasps from behind me. “Oh my god—”

“Hey!” the dark-haired Adonis bellows after me, taking several long strides and cuffing his large, warm hand over my bicep. “Get your bony ass back here for a second.”

Bony ass? Bony. Ass?

“H-how dare you!” I sputter furiously; whether it’s from the manhandling or name calling, I’m not entirely sure.

“How dare I? You’re the one that sounds like a mental person. That’s my sister. Greyson is my sister.”

Okay.

Yeah.

So this is the part where I stand there dumbfounded, staring at both of them with my mouth agape. Yup, that’s what I do. I stand there, gaping. Embarrassed. Face flushed. Horrified. Mortified.

As far as misunderstandings go, this is one of the worst.

“I… oh.”

“Yeah, oh. What the hell is wrong with you?”

“I didn’t… I didn’t think.”

“You didn’t think? I can see that.” He runs a tan hand through his dark, mussy hair. “Nice to meet you, by the way. I’m Collin Keller. Greyson’s brother.”

Collin Keller extends his hand, and I gawk dumbly at it, still sheepish. He leaves it there, hanging between us, waiting for me to shake it.

“I… Hi.” My hand slides into his and I shiver. Our eyes connect.

They’re hazel.

His eyes are hazel, just like Greyson’s.

Exactly. Like. Greyson’s.

As we take each other in, the hard set of his mouth transforms; the corners of his beautifully sculpted lips tip into an awkward smile, framed by the shadow of a beard playing along his strong jawline and defined chin.