Page 90 of Hometown Hottie

44

CARSON

Sitting up, I met Ryan’s death glare full on and stood, making sure to keep Nova behind me. I didn’t think he would hurt her, but he was going to take a swing at me and I didn’t want her getting caught in the crossfire.

Mind racing, I couldn’t come up with any excuses for the position he’d just found us in. This was not the ideal way for him to find out the truth, but he wasn’t stupid. We were busted and I’d been wanting to talk to her about telling him sooner rather than later anyway.

Ryan’s jaw ticked as he glanced between us. His shoulders were rigid with rage, his cheeks flushed, and his lips parted. I didn’t want to make any sudden movements, but I was ready to block a punch if I had to. I just didn’t want to come across as being defensive.

“Ryan,” I said, slowly raising my hands to show him my palms. “Clearly, we need to talk. Do you want to sit down? I’ll get you a drink and we can⁠—”

“That’s my sister,” he spat, practically hissing. “You know how I feel about you two being together.”

“Yes, I do, but I’m not going to apologize. We’re not kids anymore, Ry. I know you want to protect her, but you don’t have to protect her from me.”

He scoffed, taking a menacing step closer as his fists tightened. “I don’t have to protect her from you? That’s rich, coming from the guy who left a string of broken hearts behind in every fucking city he’s ever lived. Including this one.”

My heart hammered in my throat. What does he mean by that? I didn’t break Nova’s heart back then.

Since I was trying to diffuse the situation though, I knew better than to argue with him. We could hash that out another day.

“Nova isn’t any other girl, Ryan. Not to me. What I feel for her is real and⁠—”

“Bullshit,” he snapped, taking another step closer and getting right in my face. “Unless you can stand there and tell me right now that you’re going to marry her, you haven’t changed. You’re not going to settle down. You’re going to hurt her and I’m going to be left to pick up the pieces.”

“I will never intentionally hurt her,” I said confidently, needing him to believe me. “We haven’t talked about marriage yet, and if we do, that’s a conversation I’ll have with Nova before I have it with you. I respect her too much to make decisions for her.”

“You respect her?” He sneered. “After what I just walked in on, you really want me to believe that you respect her? You want to fuck her, Carson. That’s not respect. That’s lust.”

“Ryan, I⁠—”

With a loud roar, he pulled his fist back and took that swing I’d been waiting for. My arm flew up and I blocked him, feinting to one side before I ducked to dodge the punch. He let out something like a war cry and came at me again, and from the corner of my eye, I saw Nova wince, her eyes filled with tears as she watched us.

“Okay, that’s it,” I said firmly, straightening up and giving him a not-too-hard shove toward the front door. “We’re taking this outside.”

“Why? You don’t want her to see you lose?” he taunted as he stumbled back, even though I hadn’t shoved him that hard.

Catching himself on her dining-room table, he regained his balance but strode to the door, rushing down the stairs outside before spinning around to face me again. “That’s my fucking sister, Carson. I don’t want you anywhere near her, but you just can’t stay away, can you? You have to have her because she’s a challenge. Because you just have to have everything. You can’t leave anything alone.”

“She’s your family, I get that,” I said, inhaling deeply in an attempt to remain calm. “She’s not your property though, Ryan. She belongs to herself and she makes her own decisions.”

“Not this time.” His temper escalated and he advanced on me quickly, his legs eating up the space between us as he threw another punch.

This time, I didn’t duck or try to block it. I knew I owed him one, so I let him have it. His fist landed. Pain exploded across my jaw and cheekbone and my head snapped back. I lost my footing for a moment, staggering a few steps back before I managed to stop myself from falling on my ass.

Blood poured out of my nose and I was definitely going to have at least one black eye, but I blinked hard to keep focused, ignoring the taste of hot metal in my mouth as I threw my arms out to my sides. “Are you happy now? Is that what you wanted? Is this what you need to feel better about me takingeverything from you?”

I knew I shouldn’t be calling him out, but shit. That was what all this was about, wasn’t it? For a couple months now, I’d had a feeling that his resentment of me came from someplace deeper than just having caught me with his sister, and now I knew for sure.

He snorted, breathing hard as he circled me, clearly looking for an in to take another swing, but he wasn’t going to get it. I’d given him that one for free, but he wasn’t getting another. “What I want is for you to get the fuck off my family’s property and never come back.”

I hadn’t realized that Nova had followed us outside until she spoke up. “This is my house, Ryan. I need you to leave.”

When I glanced at her over my shoulder, she was standing at the top of the steps that led to her front door, looking miserable with her arms crossed and those tears still swimming in her eyes. Ryan’s gaze darted to her at the same time mine did, and his eyebrows shot up.

“You want me to leave? Fine. If you want to act like every other sl⁠—”

“Don’t you dare call her that,” I snarled. “I know you’re pissed, but don’t call her names, Ryan. You can never take that back.”