I gritted my teeth. My need to protect my sister and to get revenge for everything she’d been through came pouring out of me.
“Yeah. Someone who will stay the fuck away from us. Especially you.”
She nodded, her slight smile this time not reaching her eyes. “Okay, Beck.”
“I love when you agree with me so easily.”
“And just like that, cocky Beck shows his face.”
“Did he ever leave?”
“You’re such an idiot.”
“Not the worst thing I’ve been called.”
“Oh my God. Stop.” She rolled her eyes.
“What are you two arguing about now?” My mom plopped down on the sofa next to me, and I immediately reached out and stole some popcorn from her bowl. She slapped at my hand, but I didn’t let it stop me.
“Him being ridiculously cocky and not cleaning up after himself.” Frankie reached forward, and my mom held the bowl out for her.
“That’s because he’s spoiled.” She patted my cheek playfully as she grinned. It’s the curse of the firstborn. “That’s why you’re my favorite, Frankie.”
“Hey.” I was actually insulted.
She laughed as she ran her fingers through my hair and moved it out of my face. She was constantly begging me to get a haircut, and I was constantly telling her that my hair was fine.
My mother had always been overprotective and a little overbearing, but she had always put Frankie and me before anything else.
“You are both my favorite children. Don’t worry.”
Frankie stuck her tongue out at me because while I had been a mama’s boy almost my entire life, she had been Mom’s baby since the moment she came into this world.
“Where’s Dad?”
“He went to bed early.” My mom’s smile was sad, and I knew it was because my father wasn’t feeling well. There were far too many nights when he wasn’t feeling well.
“I’m probably going to hit the hay soon too. I’ve got workouts tomorrow.” I stretched and patted my stomach.
“Are you ready for baseball to start back up?”
I had been playing since I was old enough to remember. It was something that I loved forever, and it had always loved me back. It had been my constant through every other change in my life.
And it was something I would no longer be playing after this year.
So I was ready for it to start back up, but it felt bittersweet. “I am. I’m getting out of shape.”
Frankie rolled her eyes, and my mom laughed.
“You make me sick, Beckham.”
“I can’t help it that I’m the one who got Mom’s good genes.” I didn’t look a thing like my mother except for my smile. Every other part of me was a spitting image of my dad.
But my mom still grinned at my comment.
“Go to bed so Mom and I can bond and turn on a chick flick.”
I laughed and stood from the couch. “I’m going.” I leaned down and kissed my mom on her cheek. “I love you.”
“I love you.”
I tugged on Frankie’s ponytail as I passed behind her. “I love you too, dork.”
“Love you.” She sounded so annoyed, but I knew the truth.
She loved me as much as I loved her, and I regretted how I used to never tell her. I wouldn’t make a mistake like that again.
And like she had so many fucking times since I met her, Josie flashed through my head. I wondered if Lucas told her he loved her. Did they sit together at their house and pretend like they were something like a loving family? And more than anything, I wondered if she had any clue at the astronomically huge asshole she was living with. She couldn’t be that naïve, could she?
I opened my phone as I laid down in my bed, and I let my finger hover over her name. I should have probably been ashamed that I had taken her phone number from the files at work, but I wasn’t.
I had no room for shame.
I had contemplated texting her since the moment I got it. It was the reason Olly, Carson, and I had been at the country club so late the other night. I didn’t realize she would still be there. That was just the icing on the cake.
The way she had watched me as I spoke to her. The way her mouth parted involuntarily as my thumb moved across her soft lip.
I wasn’t lying to her when I said I had imagined her pretty mouth wrapped around my cock. I had imagined it over and over as I leaned against the shower wall and jacked off to the thought of her.
I hated her, but I desperately wanted to fuck her.
I wanted to take the edge off my rage by pounding into her mouth or that tight little body of hers.
Just seeing her reaction to me the other night had made me hard as a rock. She may have hated me as much as I hated her, but the way her body hummed with anticipation wasn’t from hate.
She wanted me too.
I typed Cami’s name and clicked on it before I did something stupid. I could just text Cami right now and get the release that I needed. I could use her the same way we had been using each other for years, but I couldn’t bring myself to type out the message.
Cami wasn’t what I wanted.
Just the thought of texting her felt like a chore.
I quickly hit Cancel and pulled Josie’s name back up. I quickly hit Send on the message before I could change my mind.
I can’t stop thinking about you on your knees.
I watched as the message went from delivered to read, but there was no response. I wasn’t surprised.
I tucked my arm under my head as I stared at my phone.
Have you thought about it too?
The three little dots danced across my screen before they disappeared. She was reading my messages and thinking about what to say. Even if she hadn’t said a word, that thought alone made my dick strain against
