Total pages in book: 32
Estimated words: 30980 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 155(@200wpm)___ 124(@250wpm)___ 103(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 30980 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 155(@200wpm)___ 124(@250wpm)___ 103(@300wpm)
I sit bolt upright, and when I see the figure standing at the end of the bed, a shrill scream erupts from my throat. Pulled out of a deep sleep, Slater sits up beside me, his body taut and coiled like a spring, ready to fight.
“What in the hell is going on here?”
The voice is familiar, and when the sleep and fear-induced haze clears and I can see straight, I find myself looking at my brother. His face is dark and twisted with anger as he stares at Slater and me in bed together.
“Dude,” Slater says. “I—”
“Shut the fuck up,” Derek shouts and turns to me. “Get your ass out of the bed, get dressed, and wait for me at my place, Sierra.”
“Derek—”
“Now!” he roars.
I glance at Slater, who gives me a slight nod and silently tells me to listen to my brother. My heart hammers wildly, and my stomach churns. I slip out of bed, gather my clothes, and run out of the bedroom. I get dressed quickly and head out the front door when the enraged shouting in the bedroom behind me starts.
I’m halfway to Derek’s place when I realize I probably should have stopped and stood up to my brother the way Slater has stood up for me several times already.
13
SLATER
Iclimb out of bed and pull a t-shirt on, half-expecting Derek to start throwing punches the entire time. He doesn’t. He just stands there glaring at me like he’d like to do a lot worse than just punch me in the face. He looks so pissed that if he had a gun, I’m reasonably sure he would have shot me dead right there.
I sit down on the edge of my bed and look at him. My room is filled with tension so thick, it’s like thunderclouds have rolled in, and the storm is about to break. He’s clearly waiting for me to begin, likely so he can cut me off in a fit of rage.
“Look, Derek—”
“Shut the fuck up,” he roars.
And there it is. I do as he says and fold my hands in my lap, letting him begin the tirade I’m sure is coming next. He’s angry. Maybe even has some right to be. In the back of my mind, when this thing between Sierra and me began, I knew there would come a day of reckoning with Derek. I knew I’d have to face him down over this. And as much as I’d like to put him in his place, I know I need to let him get this out of his system.
“What the fuck are you doing, dude?” he seethes. “She’s my little sister.”
“She’s also a grown woman—”
“You’ve known her since she was practically in diapers. Do you even understand how fucking sick that is?”
I’m not going to lie and say it hasn’t crossed my mind, but I’ve also come to the realization that it was a long time ago. We’re both grown adults. A lot has changed. We’re also not the same people we were back then.
“I can’t believe you’re pulling this shit behind my back, man,” Derek growls. “You were the one person in the world I trusted, and you do this? What the fuck, dude?”
“It’s not like that—”
“No? Then what’s it like?” he cuts me off. “Tell me what it’s like, Slater.”
“What happened between Sierra and me wasn’t behind your back,” I tell him. “I went into your place to fix your bathroom and ran into her. I didn’t even know she was there—”
“Oh, so you just decided it was a good time to fuck her?”
“Again, it’s not like that.”
I grit my teeth and try to keep my anger in check. Getting pissed off at him isn’t going to do either of us a bit of good, but it’s getting difficult to sit here and take his abuse without responding. This whole taking the high road thing sucks ass, and I’m about tired of it. Derek takes a step back and looks uncertain when I jump to my feet, my face twisting with anger.
“All right, get down off your fucking high horse and listen up,” I snap. “Sierra is a grown woman who can make her own decisions. We’ve been getting to know each other since you’ve been gone, and I’ve come to care about her. A lot, man. She’s a great girl. She’s smart. Fun. She’s got a great sense of humor, and we just click. We’ve got a real connection.”
He’s silent for a moment and seems to be considering what I just said. His face is still etched with anger, but there’s something more thoughtful in his eyes. He shakes his head and seems to be trying to push it all away. He looks at me again with a complex mix of emotions on his face.
“She’s my kid sister, man. Couldn’t you have found somebody else?” he asks.