AllFreeNovel
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When Win brought me home the first time, I’d been literally gobsmacked. I still remember standing in the kitchen, which was lived in and smelled like cookies. Mom was singing at the stove, Wes was coloring at the island, and Dad was eating cookie dough out of the bowl when Mom wasn’t looking.
I’d never seen a family like them before. I’d never really understood love until they showed it to me. They took me in and made me theirs, proving love isn’t in your DNA. It is a bond formed by effort and loyalty.
And yeah, they put in that effort. I was unruly. Argumentative and mean. I pushed and pulled, poked and prodded. I did shit just to see if they would turn on me.
They never did.
Not one time.
They gave me everything. A family. A safe place. Love. Betraying that was something I wasn’t prepared to do. And because of that, I was betraying the person I loved most in this world, thinking maybe we could just ignore it until it went away… but it wasn’t going away.
And then… I went and kissed him.
My lips folded in on themselves as my eyes slid closed. The sound of the brewing coffee fell away as I slipped into that moment when he was in my arms and those stupid plastic stars glowed neon above our heads. He’d clung to me so desperately my heart wept under the assault. His whimpers and lips were so fucking needy, the way he surrendered made me obsessed.
Yeah, this wasn’t going away, and I had no idea what to do.
Keys in the front door made me spin, my eyes going to the stairs as I thought of Wes sleeping upstairs. Whoever was trying to get in here picked the wrong fucking house. The door pushed as I tore into the living room, ready to throw down.
“Whoa,” a familiar voice said as an even more familiar body stepped inside.
Surprised, I stopped in my tracks. “Win?”
Snatching the aviators off his face, he grinned. “Miss me?”
Despite all my misery, a grin broke out over my face, and I rushed forward again. His duffle hit the floor as we embraced, both of us slapping each other’s backs.
“You smell like a stale airplane,” I told him, drawing back.
“Well, I just sat in one for eight hours, so take a big whiff.” Lifting his arm, he came at me with his less-than-fresh pit.
“The fuck I will,” I told him, shoving him away.
He grinned and ripped the baseball hat off his head, tossing it onto the couch.
“Your hair is longer,” I said, looking at the chestnut strands falling over his ears.
“Didn’t bother getting it cut.” He pursed his lips. “You look like shit.”
I shrugged. I felt like shit too.
“Wes?” he asked, voice sobering a bit.
“He’s okay. Gonna be pissed you flew all the way home from Sweden.”
He grunted. “I had to come.”
“I know you did.” I nodded, completely understanding. “I just made coffee,” I said, starting toward the kitchen.
“Max.”
I looked over my shoulder.
“How are you?”
I’m freaking the fuck out, and last night, I made out with our brother.“I’m good.”
“Liar.”
