Page 30 of Make Me Stay

I wiggled my jaw. Wyatt had a hammer for a fist. “It started out like that.” I took a quick step back as he stiffened. “Her choice, not mine.”

“Yeah, right.”

“Look, you don’t want the details, and I sure as hell don’t want to give them to you.”

“I’m going to fucking kill you. All the women in this town and you go for my sister? She’s not like your usual girls who know the score.”

“I know.” I held up my hands in surrender. “I know, Wyatt. I knew it the first time I—” I cut myself off and ducked when another swing came my way. My best friend might not like confrontations in words, but he’d always been good with his fists.

“The first time I saw her, not the rest. Hold up.” I dodged again, but only barely. “Wyatt, I’m in love with her!”

The swing came again, this time I took it, and my back slammed into the post and I was pretty sure my brains rattled. Possibly out of my ears. The next one bloodied my lip, but I didn’t duck. Wyatt’s eyes were dark with fury.

“You can pummel me all you want, but it’s true.” When he swung again, I caught his fist and pushed him back. “It’s true.”

“You’re not taking her on some joy ride of the US because you think you’re in love with her. She isn’t made for that life.”

“I don’t want that.” I ducked under his arm and moved back to the wider part of the lawn before he pinned me into the shed. Wyatt had some inches on me and a good deal of muscle.

“Worse, she’s not a fuck and run?—”

“Wyatt! I love her and want to stay.”

He lowered his fists. “What?”

I licked the corner of my mouth with a wince. “Fuck, your hand is a hammer.”

“Power is in the arm.” He shook his head. “That’s not the point. What do you mean you’re staying?”

“That’s the point you’re stuck on? Not me and Lex?”

“My sister is awesome. And I’ve caught how you look at her. I just always trusted that you knew better.”

“Ouch.”

Wyatt sighed and rubbed his face with his hands. “I already love you like a brother, Kai. But I also know you better than anyone and you can’t stay in one spot. You’ll hurt her.”

“I never had a reason to stay.”

“Shit.” He paced away from me, then back. Then did another loop. “Dammit, Kai. You’ll get bored and hurt her.”

“You underestimate your sister, asshole. Cut it out.”

His hands fisted again.

“This time, I will punch you back. She’s worth everything, including forever.”

Wyatt sagged. “I know how it feels.”

My eyebrows shot up.

“You’ve been MIA.” He raked his fingers through his hair. “Nicole and I are together.”

I frowned. “Nicole who?”

“Buxton.” My face must have shown my confusion. “Lexi’s best friend.”

“Oh. Really?”

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