Page 62 of Smokin' Situation

Taking a deep breath, I tilted the bottle in my hand toward the ground and poured out the beer I hadn’t even had a chance to enjoy. Calmly walking toward the front porch, I placed the bottle on the railing and turned for my truck. I could catch up with my family later. Right now, I needed to leave before I exploded. The anger was right there, barely restrained beneath the surface, and I knew I’d say something I’d regret if I stayed here and had to watch him touch her.

Without looking in their direction, I made a beeline for the driver’s side door, my hand pausing on the handle when she called out to me.

“Tripp?” Her broken voice had my fist clenching at my side. “You’re just leaving?”

“Why are you calling him Tripp?” Jayden laughed, and I glanced up, watching her attempt to extract his hands from her waist. “And why do you give a shit if he leaves?”

“Because I—”

He didn’t relinquish his grip on her, and I saw red, cutting her off. “Get your fucking hands off her. She doesn’t want you to touch her.”

Jay’s eyes widened as he looked between the two of us, his eyes lingering. I knew he could sense the tension; my squared shoulders and clenched jaw, letting him know I meant every word. Then his eyes went to Rhey—Annie—with her arms wrapped around her chest like she was holding herself together. Her heartbroken look gutted me, as the realization came that my reaction was hurting her more than his.

“Why wouldn’t she want me to…?” he trailed off with a frown, looking down at her. Her watery eyes met mine, and I shook my head, removing my hand from the door handle.

He reached for her shoulder, but I growled when she flinched.

“I told you not to fucking touch her.”

He spun, marching toward me with a look I was very familiar with drawn across his smug face. “And why wouldn’t she want me to touch her,Tristan? Last I checked, she wasmyfriend, and a whole lot fucking more. Since when do you speak for her?”

“Jay, stop. We need to talk,” she pleaded quietly. I hadn’t even noticed her follow us to the far side of the truck.

Glancing toward the house, I saw Reid and Hazel just inside the front door, attempting to give us privacy. But I knew if Jay’s voice got any louder, the rest of the family on the other side of the house likely wouldn’t extend the same courtesy.

“No, Annie, I want him to fucking answer me. Why are you so concerned with me touching her? Cause I’ve done a lot more than just touch her waist or her shoulder, and she never had a problem with it before.”

“Jay,” she hissed, stepping in my direction, her eyes pleading. “Don’t.”

“It’s none of your business why, but you need to take a fucking hint. When a woman removes her hands from you and says stop—you fucking listen.”

His eyes narrowed as he stepped forward, his chest brushing against mine.

My knuckles cracked loudly when my fists tightened, trying to hold back, but I was still on edge from the flashback this morning and would happily punch my brother in the fucking face if he so much as breathed in her direction too heavily.

While neither of their names had actually been mentioned, I could connect the dots that she was the girl he’d been hooking up with. She may have been his months ago, but she wasn’t anymore.

“Did you fuck my girlfriend while I was out of town?” he growled, grabbing a fistful of my shirt collar.

Glancing past his face, I locked eyes with Rhey, and almost fucking laid him out when I saw the tears streaked down her cheeks.

“Who I fuck is none of your business. And the same goes for her. You may havebeeninvolved with her, but you don’t own her, and you better treat her with some god damned respect.”

His face turned red, and I knew he was about to blow, but I wasn’t about to let him disrespect her because he had his fucking feelings hurt. Or more likely his ego, because I still wasn’t convinced he actually had feelings for her. He may have been throwing a tantrum right now, but he seemed more concerned with me touching something he perceived as his than how his behavior was affecting her.

Not that I was much better, because I was prepared to leave her here with him a few minutes ago. Maybe Iwasn’tany better than him.

“Maybe she likes it when I disrespect her,” he hissed, and I growled in response, shoving hard against his chest until he stumbled back. Rhey quickly stepped to the side as his body moved backward, so he didn’t knock her over.

“Maybe you need to fucking watch it before I kick your ass.”

“Like you could, old man,” he taunted, lunging in my direction, but Reid was suddenly there, catching him around the waist and hauling him backward.

“What the fuck is wrong with you, Jay?” he growled, dragging him toward the porch. “Can we not pick fights in the front fucking yard on a holiday? Do you know how much shit you’d be in right now if our mothers heard you talking about Annie like that?”

“But he…”

“But he, nothing, you fucking asshole.” Reid dragged him up the steps, pinning me down with a look that would have been frightening had I not been as angry as I was right now. “Get your asses inside this house before someone hears you.”

---