Page 30 of Silver Tears

“What’s up, Luca,” Seb says as we reach the car. I can feel a crowd of onlookers closing in behind us in anticipation of what is about to go down.

“You want to tell me why you’re holding my baby sister’s hand, Collings?”

Seb clears his throat and looks at me. “Mills and I are dating.”

“Like fuck you are,” Luca snaps. “She’s too good for you.”

Seb nods his head. “Yeah, she probably is, but this is happening. We like each other. I want her. She wants me.”

“Is this true?” my brother asks me, turning his full attention to me. All my life, I’ve been the apple of my brother’s and my dad’s eye. Their perfect little girl.

I scuff at the ground with my shoe. “I’m sixteen, Luca. I’m not a little girl anymore.”

Luca inhales deeply through his nose and scratches at the back of his head. “And this is who you choose? Out of every guy in the Bay, you choose him?”

I shrug my shoulders. “Yeah, I choose him, the guy who saved our brother from a burning car and still has the scars to prove it.”

Luca’s eyes briefly drop to Sebs’ hand in mine. “I’m grateful for what he did, but am I grateful enough to allow this player to mess with you? No.”

“I won’t hurt her,” Seb says, stepping forward and letting go of my hand. “If I wasn’t serious about her, I wouldn’t have put a label on this.”

Luca strides forward until he’s toe-to-toe with Seb. I make a move to get between them, but Eliza places her hand on my arm and shakes her head. “Let them work it out.”

Work it out. They’ll likely kill each other!

“I don’t like it. Not one bit. I swear if you hurt her, I’ll break every bone in your fucking body and make you wish you were dead.”

Seb doesn’t react. He stands there, cool and calm, with Rafe and Archer at his back. “I hear you. Loud and clear. I’m the same about my twin. If I hurt her, you have my permission to do your worst.”

“Get in the car, Milly,” Luca orders me, not taking his eyes off Seb.

I nod my head and take a step forward, but Seb places a hand in front of me to stop me. “I’ll see you later, okay?” He dips his head and kisses my cheek and I swear I hear a blood vessel burst in my brother’s neck.

“Uh-huh,” I mutter, rushing to the car with my head down before jumping into the passenger seat. My brother climbs in and slams the car door shut, making me flinch. “Of all the fucking guys, Milly. Dad will blow a fucking gasket when he finds out.”

“Technically, does he need to know?” I ask tentatively.

“Oh no. I’m not lying for you. You have until the weekend to tell him. Are you being safe? Do I need to get Elle to book you in for contraception?”

My eyes bug out, and I my cheeks heat. “I’ve been on the pill for over a year, okay! Can we not have this talk? Besides, it’s not like that.”

“It’s not?” he says, the surprise clear in his voice.

“No. We’ve only been dating a week, Luca. Give me some credit.”

I see him visibly relax at my words. “Well, don’t let that fucker put any pressure on you to progress things. If he does, you come to me, okay?”

“Yes,” I hiss. I’m mortified that we are having the sex conversation. “He’s not like that. He’s not Ryan.” As soon as the words are out of my mouth, I regret them. Why do I speak before I think!

“Ryan tried to pressure you?” I wince at the flare of anger in his eyes.

“No, not really. Look, just leave it okay. Ryan’s the past.”

“I’ll fucking kill him,” Luca promises. He looks like he’s already envisaging all the ways he’s going to hurt Ryan.

“No, you’re not. It’s over. He’s moved on and I’ve moved on. I don’t want you going to jail over that waste of space. Promise me you won’t touch him?”

He doesn’t answer me. Glaring straight ahead and looking like fury. “I won’t make you promises I don’t know I can keep. If he so much as sniffs around you again, I’ll break his face.”

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