He lifted his head, regarding me with his brows knit together. His dark blond hair stood up everywhere, he had dark circles beneath his brown eyes, and his sweatshirt was rumpled. He looked like he’d just woken up after a night of terrible sleep.

His throat bobbed. “I was with Jill.”

“What?” The glass I was holding nearly slid out of my hand. I knew something suspicious was afoot, but hearing him say it out loud was a different story entirely.

“Would you keep your voice down?” He glanced at the stairs nervously. “No one is supposed to know.”

But I bet Amelia did.

I stared at him, my breath growing faster. A whirlwind of hurt, betrayal, disappointment, and anger swirled in my gut. Our parents hadn’t raised us to be the kinds of people who did things like this; Derek knew better.

“How could you—how could she—” I shook my head. “I don’t understand. Eddie is your friend.”

“I know.” Derek ducked his head, his jaw clenched. “It’s complicated.”

“I’m sure it is. How long has this been going on?”

He looked back up at me and shrugged, guilt all over his face. “Since August?”

“You mean this has been happening for months? What the hell, Derek?”

Then it hit me. Oh my god. I bet it happened at Paul’s parents’ cottage. After a huge blowout fight with Jill on Friday afternoon, Eddie stormed off and went back to the city instead of staying at the lake house for the weekend with the rest of us.

Jill had been really upset, crying and taking it hard, but then she’d gone to bed early. Then my brother had done the same not long after.

And they had always, always flirted.

“I know.”

“She’s using you,” I said, anger overtaking my other emotions. “I don’t know what for, but something. It’s not like her motivations can possibly be innocent here. You’re a side piece.”

Now I had to look at her every day and pretend I didn’t know this? How twisted was that? How many people were covering it up? Had Luke known too and not told me?

He blew out a heavy sigh. “I have feelings for her, okay? It’s not that simple.”

“You’re an accomplice to a crime,” I snapped, placing my glass in the dishwasher.

I had always suspected he had a crush on Jill. But this ran deep. So deep that he was compromising his morals and ethics, and potentially hurting one of his friends—and teammates—for her.

As for Jill, she’d always been self-centered. But this was low, even for her.

“What about you?” Derek’s expression turned harsh. “Carter?”

“I didn’t know he had a girlfriend.” I cocked my head. “What’s her name?”

“That’s not what I mean, and you know it.”