Series: Peach State Stepbros Series by Riley Hart
Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 92311 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 462(@200wpm)___ 369(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92311 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 462(@200wpm)___ 369(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
Ellie is still visibly upset as she asks questions and tries to sort through exactly what happened. I can tell Troy is putting up a front, telling everyone he’s okay while trying to make Ellie feel better, and me feel better, and—“Where’s Glen?” I find myself asking. He couldn’t be here?
“I think he’s busy at work. I couldn’t get ahold of him after Troy called me. I left a message.” Ellie doesn’t make eye contact with either of us when she speaks.
“Mom…I’m really thirsty. Do you think you can ask the nurse if I can have something to drink and a snack? I was supposed to have dinner with Brandon, and obviously that didn’t happen.”
“Yes. Sure. Anything you need.”
Ellie kisses him on the cheek and leaves the room. The second she’s gone, I’m in her spot, hand on Troy’s nape, pressing our foreheads together. “I’m so sorry,” I say, over and over and over again.
“I should have known better. I shouldn’t have—”
“No,” I cut him off. “This is all on him. There’s no you-shouldn’t-have anything. He shouldn’t have done this.”
“I know that. That even with this addiction, this disease, he’s responsible for his actions. There’s no magic thing I could have said or done to alter the way he reacted, but it doesn’t change that I wish there were.”
“I’m sorry,” I say, the words feeling empty.
Troy offers me a small smile. “Why do you have to be sorry? You’re always here,” he says softly. “Even when we didn’t get along well, even when you disagree with my decisions…you’re always here.”
“Not tonight.”
He shakes his head. “I didn’t tell you what I was doing. I think I understood even then that it was a mistake, but I wanted it to be different so badly… He’s not the brother I remember. Not anymore. He’s lost, and I can’t keep putting myself out there for him. I need to save myself for the people who care for me, who are there for me. Like you. I just wanted one more chance to try and reach Brandon. I’m glad I did, but when it didn’t work out, it was stupid to take out my frustration on a brick wall.”
“You think I don’t do moronic things? I’ve been losing my mind all day thinking you were going to leave me, that you were going to get tired of me, that I was making the same mistakes I’ve made in the past and…”
“I would never leave you. Jesus, Atlas. Do you really think that? You’re…fuck, you’re everything to me.”
The magnetic pull between us is too strong for me to hold back anymore. I lean in and press my mouth to his. There are a million things we need to talk about, things I need to work through, but right now? Right now I just need to taste him and remind myself that Troy is mine and he’s okay.
It’s not a fast kiss, not even one with tongue, just the two of us, our foreheads pressed together as our lips meet over and over and over in gentle kisses.
“Atlas! What the hell are you doing?” Glen’s voice breaks the heartfelt moment.
We jerk away from each other, but it’s too late. I know it’s too late, and the thing is, I don’t care. I want everyone to know I’m with Troy. Life is really fucking fragile. Anything could have happened to him today, and I don’t have time in my life to waste on people like Glen.
I look at Troy, and the encouragement I see in his gaze tells me he feels the same.
“What the hell are you doing?” Glen snaps at me again—only me. Not Troy. “He’s your brother.” He takes a few steps into the room.
“He was my stepbrother, but now I love him. I’m in love with him,” I admit. But the thing about Glen is, being in love with someone, loving someone, isn’t something he will ever understand. He’s not built that way. He’s too selfish. He will only ever care about himself.
“You will end this right now. You’re not… You can’t… What did he do to you, Troy?”
“What did he do to me? Besides treat me well? Always being there for me? Making me laugh? He loves me,” Troy answers, his hold on my heart tightening even more.
“It’s disgusting. It’s wrong. Do you know what people will say? I will not let the two of you ruin our family. I forbid you to see each other!”
It’s almost like I blank out for a moment. I don’t see anything but red, my body hot, muscles tight as rage overtakes me. “We’re going to ruin our family? Don’t act like you give a fuck about family! You sure as shit didn’t care about family when you cheated on Mom, and you still don’t care about our family because you’re doing the same damn thing to Ellie!”