Til Debt Do Us Part (Married At Midnight #4)

Chapter 19

Nineteen

Dare

I lock eyes with Burn. My twin, jogging down the sidewalk towards me, eyes accusatory. I stiffen, clenching my fists. What's he doing here?

I don't have time to wonder before a hand grasps my arm. I whirl to find Daisy at my elbow, ruby lips curved into a sultry smile.

"Change your mind?" she purrs, sidling closer. Revulsion twists my gut.

Burn is nearly at the entrance now, focused on the entrance to the bar. With a smirk, I grab Daisy and pull her against me. She gasps in surprise. Perfect.

"Burn!" I shout as he steps onto the curb. His head snaps up, eyes narrowing when he spots us locked in what must look like an intimate embrace. I don't give him a chance to react before I add, "You'll never believe what Daisy just said. Unless I am very mistaken, she's making a pass at me."

Daisy stiffens against me, outrage coloring her cheeks. But it's too late. Burn is stalking towards us, fists clenched at his sides.

Burn stops just shy of us, practically vibrating with anger.

"What are you doing here?" he growls, glaring at me. Daisy extracts herself from my loose hold and hurries to his side.

"He's lying!" she exclaims, grasping Burn's arm. "Dare's just trying to mess with you. Don't listen to him."

Burn shakes her off, fixing her with a piercing look. "Why should I believe you?" he asks coldly. "I know my brother. If he says you came onto him, then you did."

Daisy gapes, clearly not expecting this reaction. I suppress a triumphant smile. The wedge is driven firmly between them now.

"But...I thought you two hated each other," Daisy says after a moment, confusion in her eyes as she looks between us.

Burn's expression softens slightly. "We did," he admits. "But we're trying to change that."

I watch the exchange, trying to gauge Burn's reaction. He's clearly not happy with me, but I can tell that Daisy's words have rattled him. Good. The more they fight, the less they'll focus on me and the less likely they are to find out my true intentions.

"Look, I don't want to cause any trouble," I interject smoothly, holding up my hands in a placating gesture. It's a lie, of course; I want to break them up, permanently. "I just wanted to let you both know what was said."

His gaze flicks to me briefly before returning to Daisy. The silence that stretches between the three of us is deafening. But Burn finally breaks it.

"I think it's time you gave me back my ring."

Daisy's face falls as she stares at Burn. Her fingers curl protectively around the diamond ring on her finger, as if to ward off any attempt to take it away from her.

"No," she whispers. "I won't give it back."

Burn's expression is unyielding. "You don't have a choice," he says sternly. He takes a step closer and reaches for her hand, gently but firmly prying her fingers away from the ring.

With a primal screech, Daisy rips the massive diamond ring from her finger and hurls it at Burn. He ducks just in time, the ring pinging off the wall behind him. He is quick to scoop it up, his expression dour.

"Get the fuck out of here, Daisy. I meant it when I said I didn't want to see you anymore."

"You can't do this!" Daisy shrieks. "I won't let you throw away everything we had over one stupid argument!"

She grabs Burn's arm, nails digging in. He shakes her off with a glare.

"We had nothing real. I see that now," he says coldly.

Daisy's chest heaves, eyes wild. "So what, you're just going to walk away? After everything we meant to each other?"

She turns on me. "This is your doing! Poisoning him against me because you couldn't stand to see your brother happy!"

I snort. "Don't flatter yourself. My only regret is not opening his eyes sooner."

"Damn you both!" Daisy shrieks, face mottled with rage. "I hope you rot!"

"We should talk. Alone ," she says, looking pointedly at me. "I can convince you, Burn. You know you want me to."

"We are done," he says flatly, looking at Daisy with a mixture of regret and determination in his gaze. "I'm sorry that it had to end this way. But if I never lay eyes on you again, it'll be too soon."

Daisy looks like she wants to argue, but one look at Burn's face has silenced her protests. Tears fill her eyes as she turns and hurries away from us without another word.

I resist the urge to applaud. My brother has finally seen the light about his manipulative fiancée. Perhaps our relationship can be salvaged after all.

Daisy's face twists in anger as she realizes Burn is serious.

"You'll regret this," she hisses. "Don't come crawling back to me when you realize what a mistake you've made."

Burn doesn't respond, letting the ring fall to the floor with a clatter. Daisy gives us both a look of pure loathing before spinning on her heel and stalking back inside the bar.

An awkward silence descends. I clear my throat. "Well, I'm glad you finally saw through her act," I say tentatively.

Burn runs a hand through his hair. "Yeah. I should have known from the start." He glances at the discarded ring, then back at me. He picks it up and puts it away in his coat pocket. "Thank you, Dare."

I nod, a bit taken aback. I hadn't expected gratitude. But before I can respond, Burn continues.

"Let me buy you a drink. I know we have a lot to work through, but...this is a start."

I hesitate. Talia is waiting for me at home, heavy with our child. The anger still simmers beneath the surface between my twin and me. But the hopeful look on Burn's face gives me pause.

Perhaps one drink won't hurt. I have hope that our fractured relationship can heal.

I consider Burn's offer carefully. One drink to celebrate the end of his toxic engagement can't hurt. And if we're going to repair our relationship, I need to take steps towards trust.

"Alright," I say finally. "One drink."

Burn's face lights up. He waves the bartender over and orders two whiskeys, neat.

As we wait, an uneasy silence settles between us. The history of rivalry and resentment won't disappear overnight. But Burn looks contrite, and I know how deeply Daisy's betrayal must cut.

The drinks arrive. Burn lifts his glass in a toast. "To new beginnings," he says.

"To family," I reply, clinking my glass against his.

The whiskey burns comfortingly as it goes down. Burn sighs, rolling his empty glass between his palms.

"I should have listened to you about Daisy from the start," he admits. "I guess I just wanted to believe she truly cared."

I nod. "I know the feeling. But there will be someone real someday."

Burn smiles slightly. "I hope so." He glances at his watch. "I should let you get home. Give my best to Talia."

"I will." I stand, pausing. "Thank you for the drink. This... It meant a lot."

Burn clasps my shoulder. "Anytime."

I step out into the night alone. The air is cold and bracing, clearing my head. I take a deep breath, exhaling a cloud of white.

My thoughts turn to Talia, her smile, her laughter. The swell of her belly where our child grows. The loft isn't far, but I find myself hurrying, eager to see her face.

Perhaps Burn and I can find our way forward after all. For now, my little family is all that matters.