Chapter 39: It’s not the way a brother looks.
Dylan returned his focus to Ava, only to meet her scathing glare. The intensity of her glare made him shift uncomfortably. "What? Don’t look at me like I’m the one at fault. I don’t like that guy," he muttered defensively.
Ava’s expression hardened. "Ethan is like a brother to me," she snapped, her frustration bubbling over. She couldn’t stand that Dylan was twisting the situation, throwing suspicion on her relationship with Ethan.
"Brother!" Dylan scoffed disdainfully. "I can see the way he looks at you," he muttered under his breath. "It’s not the way a brother looks."
He knew full well that Ethan had feelings for Ava—he had seen the way that man looked at her. It was not a look of adoration for a sister, but an affectionate stare that lingered a little too long.
"Did you say something?" Ava squinted at him. She heard him saying something, but she couldn’t catch his exact words. There was no mistaking the icy edge of Dylan’s voice, though; it only fueled her fury.
"That man shouldn’t be around you," Dylan said, his tone cold and commanding.
Ava’s blood boiled at his audacity. How dare he dictate who she could be close to, especially after everything? "I don’t care what you think about me and Ethan. You and I are getting divorced anyway."
Divorce again?
Dylan felt a surge of frustration, his nerves tightening. It was like a switch had flipped inside him, and before he could stop himself, he growled through clenched teeth, "There won’t be a divorce." His hands moved to clasp Ava’s shoulders with more force than intended.