“Not as well as you would have, I’m sure.” Jim turned to me. “Thomas should have been a detective.”

Despite the uncomfortable proximity to the truth, I held a smile.

Thomas had a strange expression as well, but his features smoothed. “Are you having a good time, honey?”

“Please tell me that was good-bye,” I said. I didn’t try to keep Jim from hearing. It was an honest request, one that I could ask and still keep our cover intact.

Thomas gently took me by the arm and brought me to an unoccupied corner of the room. “I didn’t know she was going to do that. I’m sorry.”

I felt my expression crumble. “I wish you could have seen that through my eyes and then hear you say she’s in the past with my ears.”

“She was apologizing, Liis. What was I supposed to do?”

“I don’t know…not look heartbroken?”

He stared at me, speechless.

I rolled my eyes and pulled on his hand. “C’mon, let’s get back to the party.”

He pulled away from me. “I am, Liis. I am heartbroken. What happened is fucking sad.”

“Great! Let’s go!” I said, my words dripping with false excitement and sarcasm.

I shouldered past him, but he grabbed my wrist and pulled me against him. He held my hand near his cheek and then turned to kiss my palm, closing his eyes.

“It’s sad because it’s over,” he said against my hand, his breath warm on my skin. He turned and looked down into my eyes. “It’s sad because I made a choice that has changed my relationship with my brother forever. I hurt her and Trenton and myself. The worst part is that I thought it was justified, but now, I’m afraid it was all for nothing.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, eyeing him warily.

“I loved Camille—but not like this, not like you.”

I glanced around. “Stop it, Thomas. No one can hear you.”

“Can you?” he asked. When I didn’t respond, he let go of my hand. “What? What can I say to convince you?”

“Keep telling me how sad you are to lose Camille. I’m sure that will eventually work.”

“You’ve only heard me say that it’s sad. You ignored the part about it being over.”

“It’s not over,” I said, laughing once. “It’s never going to be over. You said it yourself. You’ll always love her.”

He pointed to the other side of the room. “What you saw over there? That was good-bye. She’s marrying my brother.”

“I also saw you in pain about both.”

“Yes! It’s painful! What do you want from me, Liis?”

“I want you not to love her anymore!”