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Bryn takes in my appearance and I self-consciously smooth my hair. He narrows his eyes momentarily and mumbles something to himself. “Is he still here?”
“Jax? Yes.” I prepare to stop Bryn charging into my bedroom and confronting him; but since the night in Paris, his acceptance of the situation has improved. Or it had. “And don't you dare say anything.”
He crosses his arms. “At least you're not on your own, I suppose.”
“Jax cares. He's looking out for me too.”
A humph is my response and a glimmer of Bryn's reasoning behind his dislike of Jax shines through. This isn't only his lack of acceptance that I'm growing up, but he's not happy somebody is taking his place.
“So, I'm fine.”
Bryn crosses to the plush blue sofa and sinks into the cushions. From his vantage point he has a view of the bedroom door, and I edge backwards to close it as he stares at the carpet.
“This shit is crazy,” he mutters.
I head over and curl up next to him. “You don't need to tell me that.”
“Seriously, this is bullshit. When Phoenix hit the world, we had a shitload of press attention, but nothing like this!”
“Eight years ago, the landscape was different.” Bryn looks confused. “Social media.”
“Yeah, but even Dylan and Sky didn't have to face this last year. Or I don't think they did.” He rubs his face. “Maybe they did, I didn't pay much attention.”
“Yay for me, I choose the rock star with the most vicious fan base.”
“How can you be so blasé?” he snaps.
“I'm not! I hate this too!”
A movement behind me catches Bryn's attention and I look over. Jax stands in the bedroom doorway, barefoot and shirtless. He pushes a hand through his mussed hair and smiles at us.
Does the guy have a death wish?
“Hey, Bryn.”
Bryn's face darkens and I swear he's holding his breath.
“Jax!” I mouth at him.
“Anybody want breakfast?” he asks.
I'm unsure who's the most speechless as we watch Jax head into the next room. My heart thumps and I tense, ready for Bryn's comment. Or worse.
I place a hand on Bryn’s leg, warning him to stay. “Don't say anything. I need you on my side here.”
“It's fucking hard for me to see the man I've seen with a different girl each night, now coming out of my sister's bedroom!” He pushes my hand away and stands.
I swallow against his words and the image of that Jax, the one I'm counting on him leaving behind. I stand to face him. “My choice, Bryn.”
The tension rolling from him scares me, and I step in front of Bryn as he stares at the direction Jax went. “Every time I see his hands on you, I want to smack him. Hard.”
“What for? I understand you're looking out for me, but Jax hasn't done anything wrong!”
“I warned him to stay away, he should've respected that,” he growls.
“Sit down, Bryn.” I push him onto the sofa and stand between him and the doorway again. Bryn sits and scowls. “I'm twenty years old. I am big enough to make my own decisions, and you are not making them for me. If you don't like this between me and Jax, tough. My life, my fuck-up if things go wrong.” Bryn opens his mouth to speak. “I won't let him mess me around. First hint he is, and this is over. So back off!”
Bryn's silent shock amuses me. “Man, you're feistier than usual at the moment.”
