Page 12 of Moonshine Kiss
Bowie’s SUV was parked on the side street, and for a second I thought I’d keep running. But there were questions that I needed answers to.
I opened the front door and jogged up the musty staircase that led to the second floor. I could hear them inside, the easy Bodine banter. Ribbin’ and rilin’, Scarlett called it.
I wondered if they’d all be this close if their parents hadn’t been so bad at raising a family.
The door opened before I could even raise my knuckles to knock, and Scarlett blinked at me. “Well, hey there. Holy hell. Look at your face!”
“‘Zat Cassidy?” Gibson called from somewhere inside.
Jameson was sitting on the couch, a game controller in his hands. He glanced up, gave me a nod, and went back to whatever game he was playing.
I clapped a hand over my jaw. “Is Bowie here?” I asked.
Scarlett got that hopeful look on her face. “He is. Bowie Bodine. Get your ass on out here.” She stepped back from the door to make room for her brother.
He looked as rough as I felt. His hair was standing up in all directions. His eyes were redder than Moe Daily’s bloodhound’s. He was still in his clothes from last night.
“What do you need, Cass?” he asked, not quite meeting my eyes. There was a coolness in his tone that I wasn’t used to. I couldn’t say that I cared for it.
“I need to ask you something,” I said quietly.
He read the importance behind my words and stepped out onto the landing with me, shutting the door behind him. He was still having trouble looking me in the eye, but he did take notice of the spectacular bruise blooming on my jaw.
“What’s going on?” he asked, rubbing his eyes with one hand, and bracing the other against the wall.
“Why did you go after Blake last night?” I asked, not able to keep the words inside one more second.
“Blaine,” he corrected me. “I thought he was giving you trouble. Didn’t think he was being respectful.”
These weren’t the answers I’d wanted. Or feared.
“Bowie, you went after him like it meant something.”Like I meant something.
He looked away. “Look, Cass. What do you want me to say? I didn’t like the way he was handling you and look what happened.”
Bowie reached out and angled my chin so he could get a better look at the bruise. I wanted to melt into his touch. I wanted to throw myself on his mercy, ask him to show me what love was really like. He could teach me. I was a quick study. Eventually I’d pick up the pieces of the heart he’d definitely break.
“You should pick your boyfriends more carefully,” he said, his voice rough.
“He’s not my boyfriend. Bow, I need to know. Is there more to it?”
I saw his jaw clench and release. “More to what?”
My swallow got stuck in my throat on the words that were wedged in there tight. “Us.”
It was an energetic two-step my heart was hammering out in my chest. I’d never been more scared or hopeful in my entire life.
“Is there more to you and me?” I asked softly.
He looked me in the eyes, his gray to my green. And I saw a flash of pain and then nothing. He was so quiet I thought maybe he wasn’t going to answer me. Maybe the answer was as hard for him as the question had been for me.
“Cass,” he sighed. “You’re like a little sister to me. That’s all.”
My heart cleaved in two like he’d taken an axe to it. I could feel myself bleeding out on the inside. “That’s all?” I repeated.
He nodded briskly and rubbed a hand over the back of his head.
“Look. I’m sorry. I’m hungover as shit. I was concerned that he was too rough with you last night.”
