Page 4 of Wild Pucker

"Just twenty-five?" My dad sneers. "All those hundreds of thousands of dollars they pay you in the NHL isn't enough to give the man who got you there a little more?"

"You didn't get me anywhere, Dad," I spit out, grinding my teeth. "Mom and the Valentines did."

"Don't talk about her." My dad's voice is low and hard.

"Who? Mom? Nicole Wilder? The woman who died wanting us to be happy?"

Dad stands abruptly, almost losing his balance. He moves to take a swing at me but I step out of the way and push him back onto the couch before turning away.

"My offer will always stand, Dad." It's always the same. I drop off the cash and remind him that even after all the shit he's done to ruin us, I'll still help him. "When you're ready to be a man and face your problems, I'll help. I'll pay for rehab and whatever other treatment or counselling you need, but you have to take the first step."

"I don't need your help."

"No," I sigh, turning away. "You just need my money."

♥?

The Valentine house is still the same as it always was years ago, and to me, it's home.

Angie pulls me in for a big hug, the kind that makes you feel like you're on the brink of being smothered or swaddled. She squeezes me tight, and I can smell her sweet perfume; a mixture of florals and something citrusy. She leans back and looks me over with a wide grin. Matthew clasps my hand and then leans in, giving me a firm pat on the back. They congratulate me on my season and ask a million questions about what it's like playing hockey in a southern state. Then like true parents, they grill Luke about his doctors, treatment, and when they think he might be back on the ice. Eventually, Angie brings up Sarah.

"I knew she wasn't right for you, Luke." Mrs. Valentine tells her son once their breakup is out in the open. Pretty sure the rest of the family shares Angie's sentiments—Sarah was always bad news.

We spend the rest of the afternoon catching up and laughing while Luke's mom plies us with homemade cookies and lemonade. It's usually Lily cooking and baking with her mom in the kitchen, but I haven't seen her since arriving home. I've barely seen her at all over the last two years, but that hasn't stopped her from sending me daily texts. They range from the perfunctory "Hey, how are you?" to funny memes and TikTok videos.

"Where's Lily?" Luke asks the question that's on my mind.

"She and Riley are upstairs getting ready," Angie answers, pouring some more lemonade."It's prom. The girls are going all out for their big night, and you better believe I'm ready for a photo shoot of my girls. They're going to look stunning."

"Does she have a date?" I ask, unsure where the question came from. Luke and I didn't go to our prom because we were too busy playing hockey.

"Derrick is taking her," Angie smiles warmly. Clearly, this dude has her stamp of approval. "They've been dating since Christmas. He's such a nice young man, and Lily's been over the moon."

I wrack my brain, trying to remember who this guy is until it clicks.Derrick? As in Derrick Richardson?The gangly, little science nerd who used to trail after Lily like a lost puppy.

The sound of feminine laughter stops me from saying something insulting about Lily's date. Luke and I stand at the same time when twin squeals of delight come from the top of the stairs. Lily's giggle is unmistakable, low and unladylike, and my eyes follow the sound.

Until they land onher.

I'm expecting a short, pint-sized girl with blonde curls and a wide smile. I'm expecting little Lily Valentine, who used to tease me and her brother and play with an Easy Bake Oven.

I'm not expecting the woman walking towards me. She's gotten taller, but not too tall. Her smooth legs are on display in a sparkly blue dress that only reaches mid-thigh. Her skin is tan and flushed with excitement, and her big, blue eyes, the colour of sea-glass, light up in surprise when she sees me. A genuine smile stretches across her face, flashing me a set of perfect white teeth. Her braces are gone, and the effect is stunning.

Her hair falls in blonde waves and ringlets around her face and down her swan-like neck. All her youthful awkwardness has disappeared, replaced with soft curves and rounded breasts.

I swallow down a foreign feeling I don't want to name. I'm not attracted to Lily. My dick isn't twitching like it wants to say hello to my best friend's little sister. No way. It's not happening. At. All.

"Luke! Chase!" Lily laughs, launching herself at us. She throws her hands around my neck and pulls me in for a hug. My arms go naturally around her, and without thinking, I inhale. She smells like coconut and sunshine, and I force myself to let go. "When did you guys get home?"

Riley joins us in the foyer as everyone starts laughing, taking pictures and talking, but I'm at a loss for words. I just stand there, stare and nod like an idiot. I'm on autopilot. I speak when asked a question and pose when Angie wants me in pictures with Luke and Lily, but I can't stop my eyes from roaming all over Luke's sister.

The doorbell rings, and Lily lights up. Something hard and jagged twists in my gut, knowing her smile is for the boy on the other side of the door. All I can do is watch as Derrick places a corsage on Lily's wrist, and she beams. Then another boy appears and repeats the process with Riley.

Derrick is not a gangly science nerd anymore. Well, he might still be a science nerd, but aside from the thick-rimmed glasses, he's filled out.

Before I know it, the couples disappear into a limo and I watch Lily drive off. I want to chase after her but stop myself. She's Luke's baby sister. She's practically my sister, or I try to tell myself that.

Lily Valentine is everything good and pure in the world, and I'm nothing but a tarnished, screwed-up asshole. I can never have her. She's my best friend's sister, and I would ruin her. After everything the Valentines have done for me, I couldn't do that to them. She deserves better.

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