My Great Escape Led Me to You (Emily Blair) novel Chapter 1128

Tristan tugged at his collar, his voice edged with impatience. “Let’s just go.”

Tanner barely looked up from his phone. “Hold up. Let me finish this round.”

Tristan pulled down the visor and stared at himself in the mirror. The bruises by his eye, along his cheekbone, and at the corner of his mouth looked even worse under the harsh light. Regret hit him hard.

Andrew hadn’t pulled any punches. These bruises weren’t going away any time soon. If Emily saw him like this, she’d have a million questions. Nobody would believe he just tripped or ran into something. This was the kind of damage that screamed ‘fight.’

Tristan’s brow tightened with anxiety. How was he supposed to explain this to Emily? If she found out he went to meet Andrew on purpose and ended up brawling, there was no telling what she’d think. The more Tristan thought about it, the more it ate at him. Andrew Lane was fast becoming the person he hated most.

Why did Andrew always have to make his life harder?

Tanner’s game finally ended. He lost, sighed dramatically, and was about to vent to his teammates when he caught a glimpse of Tristan. He did a double take, eyes wide, and tossed his phone aside to get a better look. “Dude, did Andrew Lane do that to your face?”

Tristan didn’t even get a chance to answer before Tanner’s whole vibe changed. “Seriously? He hit you? Let’s go back. We need to have a little chat with him.”

Tristan grabbed Tanner’s arm. “No. Just drop it. It’s not worth it.”

Tanner glared at the bruises. “Not worth it? Look at you! He really messed you up.”

Tristan scowled. “It wasn’t just him. We both went at it. His face is actually worse than mine. Let’s just leave. I don’t ever want to see him again.”

That took some of the fight out of Tanner. He stared at Tristan’s face, then clucked his tongue. “So you both threw down. You’re usually so chill—he must’ve said something real bad. Guy had it coming.”

Tristan’s irritation flared. “You know how he is. He’s obsessed with Emily, always trying to worm his way between us. I can’t stand it. I wouldn’t have even seen him if he wasn’t so relentless.”

Tanner nodded emphatically. “Yeah, it’s all on him. But your face... What are you going to say when Emily sees you?”

That was the part that made Tristan’s head ache. He felt the frustration build. “Just take me to the hospital. I need to get this cleaned up. I’ll figure something out before I see her.”

Tanner started the car right away. As they pulled out, he spotted Andrew Lane strutting out of the restaurant, flanked by the manager and a bunch of waiters, practically acting like a celebrity.

Tanner squinted, checking out Andrew’s face. When he saw the matching bruises, he burst out laughing. “Damn, man. You really did a number on him. I’m impressed.”

Tristan saw Andrew too, and it made his skin crawl. He closed his eyes and muttered, “Just drive.”

Tristan shot him a look. “Does this look like I tripped?”

Tanner scratched his chin. “Yeah, you’re right. That’s weak. What about... you were being a hero, helped a girl get away from some creep?”

Tristan’s frown only deepened. “If I say that, Emily’s going to want every detail. I’d have to invent a whole story and extra people.”

Tanner considered that, then shook his head. “Something’s off, man. Seriously.”

Tristan glanced at him. “What do you mean?”

Tanner met his eyes. “You stormed off to find Andrew like he and Emily did something behind your back. But from what you just said, Emily’s still totally into you. So why bother with Andrew? If she’s really yours, nothing he does will get in the way. Unless... are you worried she’s not being straight with you?”

Tristan knew where this was going, but he didn’t want to lay it all out for Tanner. The mention of that diamond ring Andrew brought up was still gnawing at him. But he shook his head right away.

“No way. Emily’s not like that. She’s turned Andrew down so many times. He’s just too stubborn to get the message and keeps bothering her.”