Page 15 of Jagged Burn
“Matt,” I say carefully.
His eyes cut to Anna.Bruises still visible on her cheek, stubborn tilt to her chin.He exhales sharply, relief softening his features for half a second before he focuses back on me.“We need to talk.”
Here it comes.
Anna plants her hands on her hips.“Don’t you dare, Matt.I swear, if you start with the overprotective big brother act...”
“Anna, go inside,” he demands flatly.
“No.”She crosses her arms over her chest, and I see her stubbornness flare.“This concerns me too.”
The two of them glare at each other, but I step between them before it escalates.“Anna, just give us a minute, okay?”
She huffs, mutters something about cavemen, but stomps into the house anyway.The second the door closes, Matt’s fist connects with my shoulder.Hard.
“Shit, man,” I grunt, rubbing the spot.“You’ve still got a mean right hook.”
“Good.Maybe it knocked some sense into you.”His eyes blaze.“You’ve been dancing around her for years, Grey.Don’t think I didn’t notice.”
“I never...”
“Save it.Do you think I didn’t see the way you looked at her?The way she lit up around you?I kept my mouth shut because I figured you had the decency to keep it in check.But now?”He gestures toward the house.“She’s not hiding it anymore.So, tell me straight, are you serious about her?”
The question hits like a punch to the gut.
Am I serious about her?God, I’d burn the whole damn world down for her.But saying it out loud?To Matt?That’s different.That makes it real.
“I...”I swallow hard.“She deserves better.”
Matt’s fist slams into my other shoulder just as hard as the first time.“Wrong answer.”
“Jesus, Matt!Stop fucking hitting me!”
“I’m trying to knock some damn sense into you.Do you think she doesn’t know what she wants?You think you get to decide what’s better for her?”He steps closer, voice low and fierce.“That bastard Sam made her feel like she had no choice.Don’t you dare do the same thing by pushing her away.”
The words cut deep, and I am stunned into silence.What the hell is he saying right now?
Matt sighs, scrubbing a hand over his face.“Look, man.I get it.You’ve been through hell.You’ve got scars.So what?Anna doesn’t care.She never has.She’s stronger than you give her credit for.And she’s been in love with you since she was a kid.”
My chest aches at hearing it from him.“She told me.”
“Good.”His eyes soften.“Then don’t screw this up.You have my blessing.Hell, you’ve always had it.I was just waiting for you two idiots to figure it out.”
For a second, I can’t breathe.Matt Alexander, the ultimate protective older brother, pain in my ass since middle school, the one guy whose opinion could wreck me, just handed me the thing I’ve been too afraid to hope for.His blessing.
And I don’t know what to do with it.Because part of me wants to run inside, grab Anna, and never let go.While the other part still whispers that I’ll ruin her.That scars like mine don’t just sit on the surface.They go bone deep.
Matt claps a hand on my shoulder, less like a punch this time and more like an anchor.“Don’t overthink it, Grey.Just love her.That’s all she needs.”
He moves to his truck as I remain rooted to the damn spot and when he drives away, I stand in the driveway for a long time, staring at the door.Anna’s inside, probably pacing, probably cursing both of us for talking about her like she’s not capable of holding her own.
And God, I love that about her.But loving her doesn’t erase the fear.
I shove my hands into my pockets, muttering to myself as I finally head inside.“Don’t screw this up, Grey.Don’t screw her up.”
Because if I lose her, if I let myself believe and then she changes her mind, I don’t know if I’ll survive it this time.
