Page 15 of Love Complicated

My eyes sweep to the last name. Jacob.

I find it funny Aunt K is warning me. You remember my stepbrother, right? Same guy.

Our eyes lock because the last name of Jacob means something different to both of us. “Anything like his father?”

Aunt K’s lips flatten, but she can’t hide the smirk. “Nope. He’s trouble. Grady is a bit more reserved. Quiet kid.”

“Older?” The only reason I ask this is because I want to see how much Aunt K is going to tell me about Austin and Aly. I know everything from them getting married, to the boys, and now the impending divorce, but I’m not about to tell her I know all this. I never give my intentions away that easily.

“They’re twins. Both in your class. Their mother didn’t want to separate them this year.”

I nod, and she knows I’m waiting for her to sayhername.

“Mrs. Jacob thought it’d be better having them in the same class.”

I nod, again. It’s like a goddamn truck just hit my chest. I think I even gasp. Suddenly, I don’t want her to say it. I want to believe Aly didn’t marry that piece of shit.

I grab the student list from Aunt K and she nearly laughs. Probably because she knows me a hell of a lot better than I initially thought. “Is she why you came back, Ridge?”

See? Told you. I had a reputation around town, as you can imagine. For the sake of you thinking I’m a dirtbag. . . or what did Aly call me? Dipshit? Either way, I’ll rephrase. If a girl says no, I listen. I’m not trying to force anyone into any situation they’re not comfortable with. I may not have wanted to hear it, but I listened.

Withdrawing my hand from my pocket, I place my fingertip over my lips and whisper, “Shhh” to her.

Aunt K’s brow lifts. “You haven’t changed, have you?”

“You didn’t expect me to, did you?”

Aunt K winks. “I was kinda hoping you hadn’t.”

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