Page 12 of Wild Tides
“We’re just friends, Drew.”
“You don’t believe that,” Drew scoffed.
My feelings on the matter were complicated. But I doubted Vi’s were.
Zach shook his head slowly, dropping his chin to his chest. “Buddy, you have a tell.”
I froze, taking stock, eyes darting between them. My injured ankle stretched out in front of me. Nothing unusual about my posture. I kept my expression calm.
Zach’s gaze dropped to my hands, catching me mid-knuckle crack.Damnit. It’d become so habitual, I barely registered I was doing it. Like I had to bleed off the tension somehow, and my fingers became the conduits. My thumb moved down the line, pressing each joint in turn.
Drew’s jaw flexed, and something unreadable passed between him and Zach.
“It’s clear you two have become close,” Drew said.
Denying it would get me nowhere. “Then it should be equally clear that I respect your sister’s decisions. You should too.”
Drew’s shoulders relaxed, a hint of a smile creeping into his expression. I exhaled, a long, slow breath expelled from deep in my chest, my guard relaxing. Too soon. His eyes flickered, sharp again. Every muscle in my body tightened, ready for the blow.
“That doesn’t sound like us,” he said.
“Nope,” Zach added with a low whistle. “Not the Fenwick way. We’re meddlers from birth. We love Violet enough to do real damage if someone hurts her…” He said it ominously, exchanging a meaningful glance with Drew.
“But we also respect you,” Drew finished. “Too much to hassle you if you really want to be with each other.”
It took a beat too long for me to process his words. Was that … approval? I blinked, thrown. My brain lagged behind, maybe the leftover effects of the pain pill.
“But she’s still our sister,” Zach said.
“If you hurt her, you’ll answer to us.” Drew frowned. “It doesn’t matter that we’ve been friends for decades. If anything, that should make you more scared. We know your weak points, Murphy.”
The threat lingered in the air. I’d been party to enough of their pranks over the years to know they meant business. If what they did for fun was the tip of the iceberg, a real enemy would lose everything going up against them.
“Why me?” I’d expected the threats. But not the green light. “Who are you, and what have you done with the older-brother stick up your asses?”
Zach chuckled, the sound muffled as he drained his coffee. “That’s enough break time for me.” He pointed at my face. “Make good choices, Murphy.”
He strode away, leaving me in silence with Drew.
Sure, I had a green light of sorts, but what kind of loser hit on the woman helping him through an injury? I wouldn’t take advantage of Violet that way. Brotherly threats or not, I’d be keeping my distance.
Chapter 7 – Violet
Hiking with my friends was one of my favorite things to do when I wasn’t baking or playingLegends of Elarion. I picked Rae up down at the harbor. Her sailboat,Sailor Swift,housed both her and my brother Zach. You’d never catch me living in such a confined space. Especially with my brother, but it seemed to suit them.
Rae slid into the front seat with an easy grin. Athletically built, she’d caught her curly hair back in a low ponytail and wore heavy pants and a jacket as protection against the blustery winds.
“Hey, Vi. We lucked into a beautiful day, but it’s cold as balls.”
I chuckled.
“I feel like Zach is rubbing off on you,” I teased.
Rae bit her lip, the move doing little to hide her mischievous smile. “Vi, I don’t think you want me talking about how Zach’s balls are rubbing on me.”
“True,” I said wryly. “And, yes, it’s cold today.”
I parked in front of Lucy and Clay’s house. Rae skipped out, knocking on their door. Within moments, Lucy slid into the backseat, Rae buckling into the front.
