AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I don't need to turn to see who's walking up behind me. The faint scent of peaches and cream washes over me, and I slide my hands into my pockets to keep from curling them into fists.
She's either going to rat me out, and I'm a dead man. Or she's going to lie through her teeth the way I just did, saving us both in the process.
Please let her save us, even if it's a selfish move on her part.
"There's my baby sister," Max sings, opening his arms. Evie stops short of his embrace, hands on her hips, her lips pressed together in annoyance.
"Stalk me much?"
"I wasn't stalking you. I was on this side of campus and haven't seen you. I was about to drop in and say hello"—thank God, she kicked me out—"but I got held up. Where are you going?"
Since I'm not part of the conversation, I take a step back, attempting to sneak away, when Max places his hand on my shoulder to keep me from leaving.
"Lo's. Do you need me to send you a daily itinerary?"
Ooh, I like this side of Evie. So much sass bottled up in that tiny, curvy, delicious body. One I've seen very, very naked and—
I have to stop myself before my dick gets any harder.
"Calm down." Max laughs and then turns to me. There's an evil gleam in his eyes that instantly has me more nervous than I was when we were alone in the bathroom. "You know my sister, Evie, right, Leo?"
"We've met," I say, my eyes glancing at Evie quickly before returning to Max.
"Max, leave him alone. Jesus. Do you have to threaten every guy on campus not to look in my direction?"
"Not every guy. And that was not threatening, was it, Leo?"
"Uh, no?"
"Just let him go, Max." He doesn't. He keeps his hand on my shoulder, squeezing a bit harder to hold me in place when I flinch. "You know what, never mind. I'll leave. Threaten him all you want. Threaten every guy within a five-mile radius. I'll eventually find one who's man enough to stand up to you."
She may not have been looking at me when she said it, but her words were meant for me. I felt it in my soul.
It was a challenge. To stand up to her brother. To be a man.
Only, I don't know that I can.
Evie walks away, and I'm left staring after her. Wishing I could be the man she's asking me to be. Wishing I had the courage to stand up to her brother.
"You know, looking at her like that is not doing you any favors." Max's grip tightens on my shoulder.
"I didn't realize I was looking at her like anything."
"Your eyes tell a different story. Just remember what I said, Leo. Stay away from her. Don't talk to her. And certainly don't look at her like you want to fuck her. My sister is off limits. You can have your pick of any other girl, except her."
"Why?" I hear myself ask. Not that I expect him to give me a genuine answer.
"Because."
"Because why?"
I realize I'm pushing him and that the consequences could be his fist in my face, but I want him to give me a reason. A real one.
"She's still broken." She doesn't act broken. "The last thing she needs is to get involved with anyone, including you."
"What if having someone to lean on is exactly what she needs?"
Releasing my shoulder, Max steps into my line of sight. I'm still staring in the direction Evie walked, though she's been out of sight for a while now.
