Page 115 of Wild About You
I stand and wait for her.
“Go ahead. I’ll be down in a few minutes.”
Everyone is gathered in the kitchen. When I walk in, they go silent.
“Is she okay?” Jack asks.
“I think so.”
“Is she really leaving?” The question comes from Ash but they all wait, hanging on my answer.
“Maybe. I’m not sure, but let’s not make a big thing of it tonight. I think she’s had enough drama for today.”
“This is bullshit,” Jack says.
“Maybe, but what am I supposed to do? Who am I to decide what’s best for her? I’m just her brother.”
“You’ve been a lot more than that,” Declan says.
“She’s an adult. She can’t make her go.” Ash sets his beer on the counter with a clank.
I shrug and let out a long breath. My relationship with our mother isn’t the best, but I don’t want that for Everly, and getting in the middle of it isn’t going to help.
“There she is,” Ash says brightly as my sister comes into the room. The guys all transform from angry and brooding to cheery as they take turns hugging her.
“Let’s check your poker skills,” Declan says. They move to the game room, and Piper and I hang back.
“Are you okay?” She wraps her arms around me.
“I can’t believe how much I don’t want her to go,” I say as I breathe in the scent of her familiar shampoo. Piper being here is the only reason I haven’t completely lost my shit.
“Me either.”
I peer down at her. “Thank you for having my back. It means more than I can say.”
“Always.” She tugs me toward the group. “Come on. Let’s try to enjoy tonight.”
39
SEXY DEATH GLARES
PIPER
“You two still haven’t talked?”Scarlett asks.
She and Jade eagerly wait for my answer. We’re sitting in the stands watching the team warm up, and I’ve just told them how I successfully managed to put off all serious conversations with Tyler so he couldn’t break up with me.
“I was going to talk to him last night, but then everything went down with his sister.”
In hindsight, I should have probably sucked it up and told him straight away that I wasn’t going to let him push me away this time, and that we belong together instead of distracting him with lots of hot sex. I have regrets, but a week of nonstop hot sex isn’t one of them. Still, I could have spared a few minutes before or after to tell him what was on my mind. Saying it now with everything going on, the words don’t feel like they’re nearly enough.
“And the lingerie?” Jade asks.
“It was well appreciated,” I say, heat spreading over my skin at the memory of Tyler worshiping me that night.
“Ditto.” Scarlett sips her drink with a playful smirk.
Jade pulls out her phone. Good to know. I’m going to rearrange the article to put it at the top of the honeymoon must-have list. And then I’m going to order it in every color.”
