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He let out a sigh. “Yes.”
“Then don’t get mad at her for not volunteering it,” Laken said. “Do you think I volunteer much of my life to people I date?”
“No,” he said. He shouldn’t be surprised his family was giving him shit.
“I’m sure no one does in our family,” Laken said. “If you know what you think you need to about her, then why do you care about her family members?”
“If you’re worried I’m upset over this, you’re nuts,” West said. “And I’m disappointed you’d think that. Especially considering who I’m going to marry. I don’t give a shit about Lily’s background. If you told me she had a criminal record like her mother, then maybe I’d want more information. But there is nothing in here bad about her. To me it just shows everything she overcame.”
“The press is going to have a field day with this if they find out,” he said.
“Then it’s your job to squash it,” Laken said. “Not make it worse.”
“How the hell am I supposed to do that?” he asked.
“Get in front of it like you always do,” West said. “Stop thinking with your heart and think with your head. Get the facts and then do what is right. I expect no differently. Trust me, you don’t want Mom to find out otherwise. Consider this big brother advice.”
He snorted. He hadn’t expected this reaction from his brother, but maybe they were right. He was thinking with his heart.
His heart told him that he was hurt beyond words that Lily kept this from him.
The last thing he wanted to do was go storming into her office and demand answers. He didn’t want to let on what he knew either.
“I want to know everyone that calls for a comment,” Braylon said. “Tell Celia to come right to me.”
“That’s the brother I know and love,” West said. “She was already given instructions to do that anyway. I don’t believe there is much to worry about or she would have contacted you already. So far most has been positive.”
“Good,” he said. “I’m glad it’s working out.”
“It will for you too,” Laken said. “If you get your head out of your ass. Now go, I’ve got work to talk about before I’ve got to leave for a meeting.”
He left and went back to his office. Thomas was walking down the hall and smirked at him.
Rather than saying anything to him, he got to work and tried to figure out what to say to Lily later.
He sent her a text that he wanted to have dinner with her tonight. He told her he wanted to talk about the article. He made light of it so she didn’t worry, but he didn’t want her to say she couldn’t meet.
He even offered to pick up dinner and have it at her place since he knew she’d have things to do. Laundry for one. She’d been at his place the last few nights and as much as he wanted her to stay more, she always used that as an excuse.
They never met at her place or had dinner though, but he’d give her a chance to come clean on her home ground. It was the least he could do the more he thought of it.
It also gave him the chance to leave if he didn’t like what she had to say.
29
THE REAL TRUTH
Lily knew something was going on, but she couldn’t put her finger on what it was.
It was the tone of Braylon’s text. Longer than he normally wrote and wanting to have dinner with her. At her place.
That was a new one, but she was telling herself to not panic. Just because the article came out about West and Abby’s engagement and there was a picture of her with the family meant nothing.
Thankfully, all the names weren’t included in that family picture. She wasn’t sure if it was to protect all the siblings or not. There were enough articles about West in the news over the years that someone could piece together who everyone was.
Everyone but her.
She supposed anyone looking at the picture though would see some kind of a resemblance in her coloring and the rest of the Carlisles and maybe think she was a sibling too. It’s not like Braylon had his arm around her, just next to her.
