Page 16 of My Ex Girlfriend's Brother

“I hopethey’re almost ready because I’m starved,” Cash groaned from beside me.

“You should have eaten lunch.” I touched his stomach, which growled like an alien was about to come out of it. “You knew it was a late dinner.”

“Who eats dinner at eight o’clock at night?” He complained.

“Watch out. Your old man is showing,” I laughed. “Let’s go and see if they’re ready before your stomach eats itself.”

“You make me sound like a bear,” he grumbled.

Grabbing him by the collar, I pressed my lips to his. It was so freeing to be able to kiss who I wanted to and not care. “If you’re a bear, you’remybear.”

“Keep your queer off the streets,” a snide, familiar, and feminine voice said, making us pull apart.

Camila stood a few feet from us with an ugly sneer on her face as she looked us up and down.

“I see you’re still a bitch,” I stated.

“And I see you’re still fucking my brother, which is fucking disgusting. I knew there was something wrong with you when we were together. Thank God I didn’t marry you. I probably would have ended up with every STD known to man and a few others.”

Cash stepped past me and pushed me behind him. “You shut your nasty mouth. How can you say that about a person you once supposedly loved? How can you hate your own blood because of who they love?”

“Love?” Camila scoffed before she started laughing hysterically. “It’s been all of two months, and you’re in love? Are you both so fucking desperate that you’ll cling to anyone that gives you the time of day?”

How had I ever seen any good in her? The woman in front of me was the vilest person I’d ever encountered. How could she and Cash even be related?

“Stop projecting your issues onto us,” Cash growled, and I was glad I wasn’t on the other end of it because it was scary. If I could see his face, I was sure it would be equally as scary. “It is possible to be in love in two months or even two days. I don’t know how you never loved this man. He’s a good man. The best man I know, in fact. If you couldn’t love him in four years, you’ll never love anyone. I have no doubt about that. I wish you luck with your life because you’re going to need it.”

Grabbing my hand, Cash turned and walked into Tricks without looking back.

As we walked inside, it looked like the entire salon was standing in the lobby, getting a front-row seat to our show.

“Nothing to see here, folks,” Everly called out as she tried to get everyone to move away from the door.

Leo and some other guy came through the crowd straight toward us. The moment Leo was standing in front of me, he slammed into me and gave me a big hug. “Damn, I can’t believe she said all the shit out on the street.” He pulled back and looked between Cash and me. “Are you okay?”

“Well, if I ever thought there was a chance my sister might get over her homophobic ways, they’re gone now. I’m sorry you had to witness that,” Cash said and then moved to stand in front of me. His usually pale green eyes were dark with fury as he looked at me. “I’m sorry she said those things to you.”

I had a feeling Cash needed a hug more than I did at that moment. My parents and Leo had been more than accepting, which made me feel horrible for him. How could Cash’s parents cast him aside like he was last week’s garbage when he was such a spectacular human? I was thankful my parents took to him when we visited, and I hoped Cash would see them as his family one day as well.

Wrapping my arms around Cash, I tucked my face into his shoulder. “You have nothing to be sorry for. You didn’t teach her the hate she was spewing. I’m sorry you have such a shitty sister who can’t see past her hate for me.”

Cash pushed away and crossed his arms over his chest. “Why do you think it has to do with you? It doesn’t.”

“How can you say that? Up until she saw me standing in your kitchen in only my underwear, she was perfectly fine with you being gay.” I gripped his crossed arms. “Maybe it was the first time she saw it as a more tangible thing, but I think it has more to do with me. While she doesn’t want me and never did, she doesn’t want you to have me either. That’s just the way she is.”

“I think it’s a little bit of both,” Everly said from Leo’s side. “Something’s changed with her and not for the better. It’s like a switch flipped in Vegas, and she’s turned into a mega bitch.”

She wasn’t wrong about that.

“If we’re lucky, she’ll move away from Oasis since we’re all here and she hates us.” Leo grimaced after saying that. “Sorry, dude. I hate to bag on your sister, but she isn’t a nice person.”

Cash’s arms dropped to his sides as he looked down at the floor. He looked so defeated. “No, you’re all right. I tried to help her when she said she had nowhere to go, but Cami and I have never been close. She was only here for the free rent. It wasn’t like we hung out or had anything to do with each other during the whole time she lived with me.”

A stomach growled, and I had a feeling it was Cash’s.

“Let’s get out of here and get dinner like we planned, except we’ll add a pitcher of margaritas to the night.” I put my arm around Cash’s shoulders. “What do you say?”

“Let’s go.” He grabbed my hand and started to pull me out of the salon until everyone started laughing. “I’m starving, and I’m not going to let my sister get in the way of a great night with friends.”

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