“Thanks!”

Markus looked nervously to Lucy, just as she nodded in agreement. “We’ll have to set up new family pictures too. Maybe another beach theme since I’m going down to do some work on the Adlers’ pool house.”

“Yeah, you should,” Baylor said, looking back at Markus, relief in her eyes.

“Sounds good to me, just let me know,” Mekena said, taking a long pull of her soda, draining it before setting the cup down. “I hate to be a party pooper, but I’m so tired and it’s gonna be an early morning. So I’ll see everyone in the morning, right? For breakfast?”

“Aw, you should stay!” Lucy complained, but Avery placed a hand on her sister-in-law’s.

“She had a tough day, Luce. Let her go,” she said in almost a whisper, but Markus heard every word.

Reluctantly, Lucy nodded. “Of course, thanks for coming out,” she said, and Mekena hugged her tightly.

“It’s gonna be a beautiful weekend,” she said and then hugged Avery before turning on her heel to head out the side door. When the door shut, Markus let out the breath he had been holding as his heart started to pound at the right rhythm once more. He hadn’t realized how much it would hurt to see her again, which was completely uncalled for since he was the one to hurt her, but he found himself in pain. Pure, red-hot pain. He didn’t want this kind of relationship with her. He didn’t want things to be awkward. He wanted to be able to be around her and not have daggers of hate flying his way.

He wanted her forgiveness.

“Avery, why don’t you go help Benji with the next round?” Lucy said then, stealing his attention from his inner monologue.

Avery shrugged. “Can I touch it if I’m underage?”

She laughed. “If Benji the alcoholic can touch it, you can. Go on.”

Avery giggled as she kissed Jace before walking with Benji toward the bar. Markus wasn’t sure what Lucy was up to until she turned to him, her eyes laser focused. “So, give me the details.”

“Details?” he asked, confused, and when he looked to his so-called brothers, they all but took a step back.

“About you and Mekena. I saw the way everyone froze up when I asked if y’all knew each other, and I didn’t miss the way she ran out of here once the subject was changed.”

“Help?” he asked Jace, and he just laughed.

“No way, you’re on your own.”

He looked to Baylor, but even she shook her head. “No way, she’s been very nice to me. Plus, I already covered for you!”

When he turned back to Lucy, she gave him a knowing look as he cleared his throat. “I really don’t want to talk about this.”

“I don’t care,” she said simply. “She’s my photographer, and you’re one of my brothers, so if it’s bad bad, then I need to kick one of you out.”

He scoffed. “You aren’t kicking her out. She has every right to hate me.”

“Well, I can’t kick you out!” she complained, her eyes filling with worry. “What in the world happened?”

Shaking his head, he let out a long breath as he looked up. “We were dating for a couple months, and then I found myself in bed with her sister.”

Lucy’s eyes widened as her mouth dropped open. Around him, everyone looked embarrassed for him, something he wasn’t proud of, while Claire’s expression matched Lucy’s. “Markus!”

He nodded. “I know. I’m a fucking douche.”

“I don’t believe that for a second,” Claire said then. “You’re so sweet. You get around, but you wouldn’t hurt someone like that.”

“Exactly, this can’t be true. You would never,” Lucy agreed.

“I know. I don’t know what happened,” he said, leaning his elbows onto the table as everyone shifted around uncomfortably. “One minute, Skylar’s trying to get some and I’m denying her. And then the next, I wake up, she’s naked in my bed, and I have a condom on.”

“Ew,” Lucy exclaimed, looking away.

“But the truth is, Skylar has been whoring around for a while. I think she did it on purpose,” Jace said, coming to his defense.

“I mean, I slept with her,” Jude said, and Jayden raised his hand.

“I did too.”

“I didn’t, but that’s because she went through you two,” Jace said, looking to Markus. “She was out for trouble that night, and I truly believe Markus really liked Mekena. He was drunk.”

“That’s not an excuse, though,” he said as he looked down at the table. When he was drunk, he always knew what was going on. But that night, he didn’t remember anything. He’d blacked out. “I wish I could go back and change it. Stay away from Skylar.”

“Do you think it was staged? Like she did it to make you think you did?” Claire asked.

“I thought that too,” Baylor joined in, but Markus shook his head.

“I don’t know. I mean, I hadn’t come in the condom—sorry, ladies—but it sure looked like I slept with Skylar, and Mekena saw us.”

Everyone looked away, all of them hurting for him, he could see that, but he didn’t deserve it.

“Lord, I don’t know what happened to that girl. Skylar used to be decent, but now I can’t even stand her. She’s just wild now. That’s so sad for you and for Mekena. No one deserves that,” Claire said softly, her eyes wide. “I hate that for y’all.”

“Yeah, it sucks,” Markus agreed, but no one would ever really know the full extent of how he felt, except Jace. Markus was hurting, bad, and there seemed to be no end to his pain.

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Running his hand over his mouth, he shrugged his shoulders. “It’s in the past. What can I do?”

“Apologize?” Baylor suggested. “Numerous times—because that girl is hurting.”

“I don’t know.”

“I agree, but then maybe you do that after my wedding ’cause I need her to focus on my pictures ’cause I’m a selfish brat, and I am sorry for that,” Lucy said with a wink, and Markus laughed.

“We all know this,” he teased back.

Leaning across the table, she took his hand in hers. “I don’t know what happened, but I know you didn’t do that intentionally. And I think the sooner you tell her that, the sooner you both can start healing.”