Page 18 of Laken's longing

“I’m not done,” Laken said, waving him off with a pout. It brought back Jupiter’s urge to grab his phone to snap a picture to prove Laken wasn’t as put together as he always presented to everyone. He was a fucking hot mess right now for sure.

He looked directly at Jupiter with unfocused eyes and cut him off at the knees. “Why is love so hard? Why does the past ruin everything?”

The slurred questions wiped the smile off Jupiter’s face at Laken’s anguish. He came closer and crouched in front of his brother, resting his unsteady hands on his knees.

How the fuck am I supposed to answer?

He blew out a breath and went with his gut. “Are you in love with Isley? Is that why you’re here killing your liver? Worried he won’t like where you came from?” His voice held none of the censure he would normally attach to such questions.

Laken slumped further into the sofa and hugged the bottle into his chest as if it would protect him from whatever was going on in his head.

Jupiter could see the warring emotions as he waited for Laken to respond. The clock over the fire ticked away, the only noise in the room.

“I don’t wanna love him,” he groaned, his eyes misting with tears. “He deserves someone not dirty. If he knew, he’d not want me. And he will. Nothin’ stays hidden.” His head nodded, agreeing with his own pain filled words.

The solemnity of the situation held Jupiter where he was, staring at the abject misery Laken couldn’t hide with his defences down. Jupiter went down onto his knees between Laken’s thighs and took the bottle from him.

“Gimme that back,” Laken slurred. “It’s all I got.”

“It’s empty and you’ve had enough,” Jupiter argued back, placing the bottle on the floor before grabbing hold of his brother's shoulders and hauling him into a hard hug. “It’s not all you’ve got, and if you tell anyone I hugged you I’ll call you a liar,” he muttered crossly.

Laken said nothing, burying his head in Jupiter’s shoulder, breathing deeply. He draped his heavy arms around him, crushing them together. Jupiter didn’t complain at the overwhelming scent of liquor or how his ribs ached at the pressure. He stayed as he was, giving Laken what he needed—a shoulder to cry on.

“I love Isley,” he whispered tearfully into Jupiter’s throat.

“I know,” he responded softly. “You are worthy of him, Laken. You just need to trust and take a chance on him. He seems like a great guy—”

Laken lurched back at Jupiter’s heartfelt words, but didn’t seem to understand he needed to let go as he rasped dangerously, “He’s mine.”

Jupiter shook his head at his brother's drunken stupidity. “Give the fuck over, isn’t that what we’re talking about. Though why when you’re seven sheets to the wind, is beyond me,” he said in exasperation when Laken looked ready to chew him a new asshole. Seeing the moment was over, Jupiter hauled Laken with him. “Come on, asshole.”

They both staggered as they stood. Jupiter gritted his teeth because Laken placed all his two hundred and thirty pounds of muscle on him.

“Fucksake, I can’t carry you, heavy ass. You’re gonna have to help me, dipshit,” he huffed breathlessly as he worked to keep them both standing and heading towards the doorway, sweat gathering in the center of his back from the effort. This was why he hated workouts.

His gaze landed on Dad a second later when he stepped into the room dressed much the same as Jupiter in sleep pants and a soft cotton top, though his were black. No signs of sleep in his eyes, he wordlessly came to hook an arm around Laken’s waist from the other side.

“What?” Jupiter muttered, embarrassed at being caught like this.

“You pair having fun?” Dad chuckled, eyes dancing with amusement and something else that made Jupiter’s pulse leap.

Had he heard the conversation?

“One of us is,” Jupiter quipped back, needing to deflect, “and it sure as shit isn’t me.”

“You’re a soft-hearted soul,” Dad murmured as they practically carried Laken towards the stairs.

Jupiter grunted but didn’t bother responding as they mounted the stairs, his T-shirt now stuck to his sweaty back. He’d make Laken pay for this shit.

Laken’s head lolled from side to side as they moved, suggesting he was out cold. They got him into his bedroom and sprawled over the mattress after Dad had dragged the comforter down in what felt like an epic battle. Laken didn’t stir as they stared down at him, both a little breathless—okay Jupiter was panting like a racehorse—to then be met with light snores.Fucker owed him big!

The only light in the room coming from the hallway, Jupiter contemplated the prone man. “We should leave him like this.”

“Have a heart,” Dad deadpanned, going to the end of the bed and removing Laken’s sneakers and socks.

Jupiter rolled his eyes and went to drag Laken’s T-shirt off and throw it on the floor, not being as gentle as he possibly could be, but he was tired and sweaty, two things he hated. He yanked at the waistband of Laken’s jersey pants, pushing them down tohis ankles, uncaring if he’d caught his dick and tugged it to an awkward angle that got no response from the unconscious man.

“There, happy now?”