Page 5 of Stay for Me
Melanie and I share a look because Sebastian might just get a part of that wish.
Chapter Two
Jacob
~One month later~
“Iam not staying in that thing!” I tell Declan for the tenth time as I stand at his porch with boxes.
“You’re not staying here, Jacob. I’m married with a newborn. I love you, brother, but you really don’t want to stay here either.”
If he thinks that is going to deter me, he’s wrong. “Better than staying in that shack.”
“It’s not a shack. I stayed in it for six months, and Sean managed it as well. Your spoiled ass can handle it too.”
He’s out of his damn mind. He stayed there voluntarily because he didn’t want to stay with Connor. Sean did it because he was trying to win over Devney. I don’t have a damn reason to. “I’d rather not attempt it.”
“Go to Connor’s then.”
“He’s got two kids. You only have one. When it comes to chaos, that’s better.”
Declan huffs. “I swear, we should’ve tossed you off the mountain as a kid.”
“Yeah, but you didn’t. Now, let me in.”
He shakes his head, arms crossed over his chest. To anyone who didn’t know him, he might look intimidating. Not me. I find it hilarious.
I start to make my way up the porch steps but then see the only thing in this house that is scary shove her way past him. All five-foot-two inches of Sydney Arrowood stands there, brow raised and ready for battle. “Jacob Arrowood, you try it, and I’ll knee you so hard in the balls that they never come back down.”
I wince because I don’t doubt that she’ll do it. “Syd.”
“No.”
“I can’t stay in that box. I’m claustrophobic.”
“You are not! You used to lock yourself in that chest your mother had as a hiding spot and you loved the dried out well down on Mrs. Beackerson’s land. Not to mention, you know you have to stay on Arrowood land. That’s the agreement.”
“Yes, but you merged your land with ours, so really, thisisArrowood land.” It’s a stretch, but I don’t care. The damn thing doesn’t even have running water. It’s a compost toilet. Seriously, I didn’t know that was a thing.
She sighs and steps toward me. “I love you, Jacob. I do, but I don’t love you that much. You are not moving in for six months. Not when I have a baby and Declan.”
“He’s worse than the baby, isn’t he?”
Syd nods with a grin.
“Nice,” Declan adds.
“Glad to see your hearing works, old man.”
Declan gives me the middle finger before Syd’s hand touches my arm. “Ellie has the tender heart. You should try her. Devney would let you stay in the main house if you begged enough. But seeing how they’re getting married in a few days and will probably be humping like rabbits when they get back from their honeymoon, I’m not sure you could beg enough. Plus, they have Austin, who needs stability, not their homeless uncle . . .”
“Syd, I’m begging. I’m begging you to let me in this house, you won’t even know I’m here.” I’m the damn charity case in the family.
She rolls her eyes. “No.”
“You know I’m a big fucking deal in the real world, right?”
“Yes, but you’re in Sugarloaf now, and we really don’t care how big of a deal you’ve become. Here, you’re just Jacob, the idiot brother who once starred on that horrible sitcom that I made a meme out of.”
