Total pages in book: 136
Estimated words: 131789 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 659(@200wpm)___ 527(@250wpm)___ 439(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 131789 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 659(@200wpm)___ 527(@250wpm)___ 439(@300wpm)
“So how was it? The sex, I mean?” I ask coolly. The sour sting of acid coats my throat and my jaw hasn’t unclenched since I realized what the hell I was hearing.
Sloane slowly gets to her feet. “RJ—”
“Nah,” I interrupt. “Let’s skip the bullshit apology part.”
“It’s not a bullshit apology,” she says with visible desperation. “I’m so sorry you heard all that—”
“Gee, you’re sorry I heard it but not that you said it. Got it.”
“That’s not what I meant,” she shoots back. She shoves a hand through her hair, frazzled. “I’m sorry—”
“Save it.” I dismiss her with my gaze, glancing at Fenn again. The anger simmering in my gut homes in on my stepbrother now. “You weren’t lying when you said you didn’t have a conscience. I mean, dude. You fucked Sloane and then looked me dead in the eye and lied about it.”
“Whoa, hey, wait a second.” He jumps up too. “The hookup happened almost a year ago.”
“And the lying?” I mock. “How long ago was that?”
“Okay, I lied. I know. But just give me a chance to—”
“Fuck chances. Your chance was sitting outside that car in the woods when you swore to me—”
“The hell was I supposed to say? ‘I’m sorry I had a drunken hookup with some girl months before any of us ever met?’ Cut me some slack.” He’s panicked, talking fast and circling away from me because we both know what’s going to happen if he says something to make me need to hit him.
Sloane, meanwhile, is imploring me with her eyes, clearly wanting another chance to speak. But my heart can’t handle her right now, so I keep my hard gaze fixed on Fenn.
“Don’t get it twisted. You could have been honest. Maybe I’d get over it, maybe not. Either way, you and I would still be good.”
“Okay.” He throws his hands up in surrender. “I messed up. That’s my bad and I feel shitty about it. But come on, RJ. We’re brothers, man. You gotta forgive me.”
“We were nothing before we got here and I’m fine keeping it that way.” I shake my head to myself. “My first instinct about you was spot-on.”
Shame on me for breaking rule number one. Attachments are weaknesses and only create an opportunity to screw me over. I should have stuck to the plan. Kept my head down and did my time until this little exercise was over. This is what I get for trusting people.
“Don’t be like that,” he says, pleading. “Listen, I’m really apologizing here. You’re pissed and I get it. But you sprung that question on me and I didn’t know what else to say. I knew you were getting serious about Sloane. I wasn’t about to get in the middle of that.” Resignation settles over his expression. “If you need to hate me for a while, okay. I’ll do whatever it takes to make it up to you.”
He’s practically begging, and I couldn’t care less. Maybe there was a time I convinced myself having a stepbrother meant something. Thankfully I know better now.
“You did me a favor, Fenn. You reminded me it’s only a matter of time before everyone disappoints us. Thank you for being the one who got it out of the way early.”
“Fuck’s sake, RJ. Don’t be like that. I’ve never had a brother before. This came out of nowhere. I’ve told you things I’ve never told anyone. I want us to be friends.”
“Grow up, Fenn. Our parents like banging each other. That’s the sole basis of this relationship. I’m not your damn wet-nurse.”
“Enough,” Sloane snaps at me, her gray eyes burning. “You’ve blown right through justly pissed and veered headlong into fucking uncivil.”
“Yeah, well…” I give her a humorless smile. “I’m not feeling especially diplomatic today. Maybe that’s what happens when you show up to meet your girlfriend and overhear her and your stepbrother hashing out a battleplan about how to fucking lie to you.”
“I get you’re mad, okay?” She takes a step closer, pushing her dark hair behind her ear. “You have every right to be mad. I’m so sorry. It was stupid of me to even consider lying to you, especially after we agreed to be upfront with each other. That’s on me. I own it. But you’re acting like a total asshole, and you’re really going to regret all this shit you’re spewing once you calm down.”
I ignore that, instead asking, “So what’s your excuse? Why didn’t you tell me?”
She tightens her jaw. “Because it wasn’t relevant.”
I can’t stop a low bark of a laugh. “See? I gotta disagree with you there. It would have seemed pretty damn relevant when you had my dick in your mouth.”
“Screw you, RJ.” One hand flies to her hip, the other shoving more hair out of her eyes. “If you want to be crass and throw a temper tantrum over some territorial dick-measuring bullshit, I am not the one to do it with. You’re being a child. Grow up. It was just sex.”