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“Uh-huh. You can keep me here as long as you want, babe. As long as you’re here with me. Okay, I’ll see you in a minute.”
When I get into the living room, I take a seat at the end of the couch. My dad and Selena are sitting in the two armchairs. Jacks is standing by Selena’s chair like a rabid guard dog or something.
I really didn’t think he’d have this big of an issue with me and Lily being together. I honestly didn’t. But now I’m starting to get why Lily wanted to keep things a secret from everyone. And I hate that even one of the things she was so worried about came true.
Selena fills the silence—which even I have to admit is awkward—with random small talk and small-town scuttlebutt until Lily comes in with a tray of cookies and a pitcher of her lemonade, little bottles of the different syrups she made, and glasses. She serves everyone and then sits down on the couch right next to me. I wouldn’t have blamed her if she’d sat as far as she could get away from me at the other end of the couch. But she sits down with her thigh pressed against mine and her shoulder rubbing against my chest. When I hang my arm over the back of the couch, not touching her, she catches my hand and pulls my arm down onto her shoulders.
And that’s everything. My girl isn’t pulling away from me, even when my brother is frowning at us across the room.
“This lemonade is so good, Lil! I need to try all these syrups. And I may need to steal some of these for the bakery.”
Lily nods, smiling. “You can have whatever you want for the bakery. Always. But I’m hoping to sell some in the shop for people to add to carbonated water or lemonade or whatever at home.”
“That’s such a great idea. I bet people will love that! I feel like we haven’t seen you two nearly enough since we’ve been back. We should come over for dinner when Jameson’s feeling well enough to cook. Or sooner? And I can cook? Wait, is inviting yourself over for dinner and then saying you’ll cook in other people’s kitchen overstepping?” Selena purses her lips, thinking it over.
Lily laughs and shakes her head. “Never when it’s you, Selly.”
“And definitely not in this house. How the hell do you think I’m still here?” I add, before thinking better of it.
“Is that how he fucking did it?” Jacks looks like he wants to punch someone in the face. But he’s talking to Lily, not me. He doesn’t get to be that angry when he talks to her.
Lily looks like she wants to cry.
“Jackson! We talked about this!” Selena yells, slapping a hand against his chest.
“That’s enough, Jacks,” my dad says, sounding equally pissed.
“So, I’m not even allowed to talk now?” Jacks mutters, looking around the room like he’d rather be anywhere else.
“What you’re not allowed to do is be an asshole to your best friend in her own house. You can say whatever the hell you want to me. But not to her. I know you understand that. So, get your head out of your ass and start acting like it.”
My brother glares down at me from where he’s been standing in the corner watching us. The asshole never even sat down. He’s just been pacing next to Selena’s chair, making Lily nervous.
I’m his brother. I can take him being pissed at me. Won’t be the first time and won’t be the last. But he doesn’t get to treat Lily like this. He doesn’t get to make her feel anything other than good about herself. Or about her and me.
“I think we should probably get going,” Jacks says, looking over Lily’s head. Since when is my brother such a fucking asshole? I don’t think I’ve ever done anything he cared enough about to be this pissed at me or even much notice. But I guess that was before I fell in love with his best friend.
“Just stay, man. I’ll go outside and check on some things.” Leaning over, I kiss my Lemon’s temple before standing up.
But she grabs onto the back of my t-shirt and pulls me back down onto the couch with her.
“No. Sit your ass back down, kid. You’re not checking on anything. You have a broken arm.” Then she turns to my brother. “And for the record, all of that is exactly how he did it.”
“I don’t know how many times I can say it. But I like you two together,” Selena says, grinning at Lily and me. At least someone in this family does. “So, tell us more about what’s happening with the shop.”
“Ummm…” Lily mumbles, looking from Selena to Jacks to Selena again.
Selena rolls her eyes. Then she stands up and waves at the armchair she was sitting on. “Sit down, Nugget. We’re not going anywhere. Unless you’re planning on leaving me to walk back to the farm by myself. Which you and I both know you’re not.”
Jacks glares at her, but he sits down in the armchair. Then Selena sits down on his lap. That’s probably a good thing. Makes it harder for him to jump across the room and grab me by the throat for fucking his best friend.
My lips twitch, but I know enough not to say anything. I don’t need to give my brother any more reasons to be pissed at me.
After about an hour, Selena decides to put us all out of our misery and announces that they should be getting back to the farm. Selena and my dad hug us while Jacks stands by the front door like a total asshole.
When Lily closes the door behind them, she turns to me, and she looks so damn sad.
“Well, that was… awkward. Sorry, kid.”
