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“Do I have to spell it out for you?” I deflect, rolling my eyes like this conversation bores me. “She works in a bar.”
“Restaurant,” he corrects. “A family restaurant.”
“Which three of our polyamorous friends frequent.”
“What’s your point?”
“She’s not a kid.” I borrow her line from earlier. “Stop sheltering her and policing who she’s with.”
Cade scrunches his face like the idea physically pains him, running a frustrated hand through his hair. “Fine. I’m gonna see how her head is, though.”
It’s on the tip of my tongue to have him pass on a message for Tiff to call if she needs anything, then I decide against it. I nearly caved to her request earlier, and while Cade says he’ll back off the big brother role, there’s no scenario where he accepts me as the guy she decides to hang out with. The more distance I keep between us the better.
“Catch you later,” I call as I let myself out.
Chapter 4
Tiff
Asoftknockechoesthrough the room mere seconds before the door creaks open.
“Tiff?” Cade pokes his head inside like it’s perfectly acceptable to enter my room unannounced when I’m huddled under the covers.
Are actual big brothers this oblivious, or did someone teach him to be especially annoying? As an only child it’s probably the former, which is the only reason I’m not throwing the nearest pillow at his head.
“Come in.” He totally misses the sarcasm in my voice, helping himself to a seat on the side of my bed.
“I’m so sorry I didn’t check on you last night. Lennon said you went home early, but it wasn’t until she sent me a text this morning asking me to check on you that I realized you got hurt. How do you feel?”
His hand stretches toward my head, but I pull back before he can make contact. “It’s nothing really, just a bump. And there wasn’t any need to check on me with Deacon here.”
Cade drops his hand to the bed. “Howdidhe end up bringing you home?” His blue eyes search me warily, just like Deacon’s seemed to after I propositioned him earlier. Odd, it’s the one feature they have in common, but on Cade they’re just eyes. Deacon’s gaze makes my heart flutter.
“It’s sort of his fault I bumped my head. I mean, it was an accident, but he’s the reason the door didn’t move when I tried to walk through it. I assume he felt guilty and stayed to make sure I was okay.”
“I can’t believe he didn’t say anything last night.” Cade shakes his head with a mixture of frustration and disappointment.
“And get you all worked up over a silly bump? It’s really not that big a deal.”
“If that was true, he wouldn’t have stayed the night here. And that’s why he should have said something. Deacon has no business staying over.”
“What does that mean?”
He shoots me an exhausted look. “You know exactly what it means.”
“This is your cousin we’re talking about. How can you think so little of him?” Even if Deacon has earned the reputation, it doesn’t sit right with me that his family holds that against him. Especially Cade, who had a reputation of his own before he met Cora.
“Iwashim.” Cade has the decency to be honest. “It was like a personal challenge to have as much sex as possible, with whoever was willing. You may be family to me but you’re nothisfamily, which means he’d probably hop right in your bed if you let him. I want better for you.”
“I get that, but he’s your family too. How can you want better for me and not him?”
“I never said I don’t want better for him. I’d love for him to connect with one person who gets him instead of killing time with the flavor of the day. I just don’t want you to be one of his flavors.” Cade’s eyes bore into mine, raw honesty on full display.
Hypocritical as that is, my anger softens a little knowing that deep down Cade’s only trying to protect me. Still, it makes my heart fracture. If Cade doesn’t want Deacon going near me, there’s little chance he will. That makes my future in this town feel bleak.
“Tiff?” My eyes snap to Cade, and by the concern in his I can tell I must have drifted.That’ll convince him I’m okay.“Should I have Cora come over and sit with you?”
“I’m fine. Besides, I have to teach a tap class later.”
