Page 145 of Rogue Riders Duet

“You feeling any better?” he asks, voice soft in the dim light.

I roll onto my side, propping my head on my arm. “Better. Still aching everywhere, but better.”

Dane huffs a little laugh. “Yeah, that’s what eight hours of sleep will do for you. You should try that more often.”

I snort, pushing my hair out of my face. “Look who’s talking. How are you feeling?”

He leans his head back against the wall, and for once, there’s color in his face. “Much better.”

I can’t help but grin. “Oh? That anything to do with a certain blonde physio?”

Dane glances over at me. “Probably. She’s pretty cool.”

“She is, huh?” I lift an eyebrow, my grin growing. “You crushing?”

He sighs, running a hand through his hair, but there’s no hiding the little smile that creeps onto his face. “Maybe. She’s nice and funny. I don’t know.”

“Oh, you know,” I tease. “And she’s totally crushing on you back.”

“I think so, yeah,” he admits, but then his smile fades a little. “But I don’t know if I have the time to start something right now.”

I scoff. “Oh yeah, because looking grumpy and being my overworked manager is so time-consuming.” I let that hang between us before adding something more real. “Dane, all my life, you’ve done nothing but look out for me. You’ve given up everything for me and ended your career for me. Can you please, just once, do something for yourself? That girl is wifey material. I can see it. I can absolutely see you married in a year or two if you let yourself.”

He’s quiet for several beats before he murmurs softly, “How about this, promise me you’ll be there for that wedding, and I’ll promise to give it a shot.”

Shit.

I ease onto my back again, eyes fixed on the ceiling, swallowing down the lump that rises in my throat. “Dane.”

“No,” he protests, voice firmer now. “We’re doing this. You’re better. I’m better. We’re gonna finally talk this out.”

I close my eyes, bracing for what’s to come.

“Alaina, I saw it today. You’ve got friends, people who care about you. Finn.” I flinch at the name, but he doesn’t seem to notice. “Payne, Piper, Fisher, and Delacroix. Jesus, that guy’s a fucking clown for you.”

I try to brush it off, but the butterflies I’m still carrying from my time with Luc flutter as a smile tugs at my lips. “I guess so.”

“Does he know?”

“Of course not, I’m not crazy.”

Dane snorts. “Oh my God, that’s even funnier.”

“It’s not funny, Dane,” I snap as I sit up and rest my elbows on my knees. “That’s the fucking problem, they don’t know, none of them do. They don’t like me, they like Allen, they’re friends with him, not Alaina.”

Dane watches me for a beat, brows drawn, then shakes his head slowly. “Wrong. Piper knows, and she wants to be your friend anyway, and Finn knows too.”

My heart stutters and then freezes mid-beat.

Fuck.

“He told you?” I ask, trying to keep my voice casual, but it comes out too tight.

Finn wouldn’t have told him about the kiss. Right?

He couldn’t have.

Dane would’ve chewed my ass out by now if he knew. Would’ve pulled the big brother card so fast my head would spin.