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I rolled my eyes. “Dix…”
“No,” he repeated, then pointed toward the running trail. “Go burn off that nervous energy. But you aren’t going to be hauling and carrying on my watch.” I’d already taken my guitars upstairs, so I resisted sticking my tongue out at him.
“You’re not being very nice to me,” I told him with a mock pout. He legit laughed in my face.
“I didn’t say a word about you totaling my car,” he reminded me. “Or the fact I took that ticket for leaving the scene of an accident.”
Guilt raked through me. “Dix…I’m sorry.” The words seemed paltry. Even paying for the repairsandoffering to buy a new one hadn’t really put a balm on that.
“Gorgeous, go on. Go run.” Almost at once, his stern expression eased. Raking a hand through his sandy blond hair, he shook his head. “You should never have been in that position anyway. Next time, I’ll save piss breaks for when we get home.”
I winced again. It wasn’t until I’d been back at the house for fifteen minutes that he’d called, worried as hell. The yelling had taken fifteen minutes, and when he got to the house at four in the morning, I got yelled at some more.
He had every right to be incensed, but when he was at the house, more than anger radiated off of him… it was fear.
That fear made me feel like shit. Dix had been fantastic the past few weeks, covering my ass and getting me out to burn off all the excess. Then I totaled his car after ducking out without a word to him.
I had my phone. I could have called. Did I call? Fuck, I didn’t even remember now. It was all a blur after Lachlan showed up on the dance floor. From the quick excitement to the fury that he would walk up on me like nothing happened.
The feel of him moving with me hadn’t helped. Then he pulled off my fucking hat…
Raising my hands, I backed off from Dix. “I’ll run. You do this. And Dix?”
“I know,” he said, almost indulgently. “I’m the best. Get going.”
I grinned, then blew him a kiss as he gave me an exasperated look. “Yes, you are the best and I know you love me.”
“Go,” he huffed, before turning back to the movers. “And you boys can button your mouths and get your eyes back in your head.”
Walking away, I tucked the earbuds in. They linked to my phone immediately. A message popped up on my screen from Jackie.
Jackie
Welcome back to school. Focus. Be sure to call us next week and give us all the deets. Pen is doing great. See below…
A photo followed with Pen’s sweet face smiling up at me. She was a perfect angel from her light brown skin to her dark brown eyes and curly hair.
She was showing off four sweet teeth, and it looked like a fifth one was coming through. She’d been teething when I was there the week before. Missing her was a pang in my chest.
Me
She looks great. Will do. Moving in now. Gonna run and get out of my head. Love you.
Jackie
Love you, too.
Sliding the phone into my armband, I fixed it tight, then fired off the music. The album was the recently cut one by Bound Hearts. Ian and Frankie hadkilledit this summer in the studio and they were out touring for it right now.
I was both wildly proud of them and a little jealous. Not of their album or their success, hell no. Just loved the idea of that first tour. We thought we knew everything when we went out there, but none of us had been ready for the insanity that awaited us as that first album took off.
It helped that their music was so rich with emotion, painting such vivid pictures of their challenges, their loves, and even their passions. At least two of the love songs made me want to swoon. The fact they sang to each other just added to the delicious tension.
They had such an amazing future in front of them. Stretching my arms above my head, I continued my walk to the trailhead. There were kids everywhere. I’d already seen a couple of camera phones pointed in my direction.
The whole drive in, I’d spent the time rebuilding my armor. Aubrey had asked me if I was sure about this. We could go back to online classes or even homeschooling if I wanted. We could certainly afford a private tutor.
But I refused to run away from my personal goals. I didn’t know they were my stepbrothers when I chose this school, when I arrived, or even when they started their judgmental bullshit.
