Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 76780 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 384(@200wpm)___ 307(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76780 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 384(@200wpm)___ 307(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
She gnaws on her bottom lip, studying me in that curious way that used to be cute when she was a kid but now just annoys me.
“Honey, I’m home,” Cato sings as he enters the station, arms loaded down with shopping bags. “Brie, baby, I come bearing gifts.”
Conversation forgotten, she jumps up with a squeal and runs over to him. Cato dumps all his bags on Jax’s desk. Looks like he already bailed for the day.
“This is for you to wear at the next lumber party,” Cato says to her, dangling something skimpy and shimmery.
Gross.
No one wants to see their sister’s underwear.
“Aren’t you two a little old for slumber parties?” I ask, diverting my gaze to the paperwork on my desk.
“Yes, but this is a lumber party,” Cato explains. “It’s for boys and Brie.”
“I was feeling left out,” she complains. “Kian makes the best charcuterie boards.”
“Lumber?” I swivel in my chair to look at them.
Cato does a big show of winking and pointing to his dick. I shake my head, biting back a chuckle.
“You can come,” Cato purrs. “Bring a friend.”
“That reminds me,” Brie says absently as she studies the padding on the bra in her hand. “Did you ever call Suzy?”
“Nope,” I mutter.
Her eyes dart my way. “What? Why not? I told her you were in town and would call her. I seriously thought that was why you’ve been looking oddly…pleased lately. I thought you were getting some.”
I am getting some.
Just not who she thinks.
Cato snorts and clasps his palm over his mouth.
“What?” Brie demands. “What do you know? Who is she?” She smacks him. “Tell me.”
“I can’t, Brie baby. Not my story to tell.”
“But you can tease with it?” she huffs. Her head snaps my way. “Tell me, Atlas. Who are you fucking?”
“Jesus fuck,” I grind out. “None of your business.”
“People will start talking and find out soon enough,” she sasses, her blond ponytail bobbing as she talks. “I do not want to be the last to know about my brother’s girlfriend. What if she’s one of my friends?”
“I don’t have a girlfriend,” I grumble. “Drop it.”
“No. Fine, your fuck buddy. Is it Kelly? Eliza? Monique?”
“I thought Kelly got knocked up by that hottie fireman,” Cato chimes in.
“Ew. Marty? No. They just bumped uglies a few times, but he liked to call her ‘Mommy’ in bed, and that wasn’t her kink.”
“Take your gossip talk show out of my station,” I tell them. “I’m trying to get real work done.”
“This isn’t your station,” my sister tosses back. “You just work here. Barely. Seriously, how are you not fired yet?”
“I’m into firemen, not mommies,” I snap back. “Happy?”
Cato nearly croaks, his mouth gaping open at my admission. It takes my sister all of three seconds to catch up.
“Wait. Wait a second. I thought you said firemen.”
“And?”
She shrieks. “Are you fucking Cato? Oh my God!”
“I wish,” Cato playfully says. “That would be so hot. I tried, Brie. I really did.”
I flip them off over my shoulder, pretending to be focused on the file in front of me. My chair gets yanked out from behind my desk and spun until my sister is glaring at me.
“Atlas William Larson! You are not gay!”
I cock my head to the side. “I am. What the fuck? You asked, and I told you.”
She punches me in the shoulder, and it fucking hurts. “You asshole! How long have you known?”
“Since I was like thirteen,” I state with a shrug and rub at the spot she punched me. “What’s the big deal?”
“Because! This makes a whole lot more sense! Why Dad hates you and Mom pretends you don’t exist anymore. Why they’re so disappointed. It’s why you left, isn’t it?” Her anger melts away to hurt, making me feel like a dick for keeping it from her. “Tell me.”
I scrub my palm over my face and shoot Cato an annoyed look for starting this shit in the first place. He dips his head, his cheeks blushing. Dragging my stare back to Brie, I reach up and tug at the ponytail that’s hanging over her shoulder, which has her swatting at me, thankfully chasing the tears away as well.
“I wasn’t exactly hiding it, and I wasn’t exactly broadcasting it,” I explain. “And then Sheriff…” I trail off, shaking my head. “Mayor Bell caught me kissing a guy at the bowling alley. He threatened me and told me to get out of his fucking town. Since our parents would have reacted the same had I told them because they’re not exactly shy about their feelings toward queers, I left. I fucking hated this town anyway.”
“But what about me?” Her bottom lip trembles.
Fuck. I can’t stand when girls cry.
“It wasn’t about you,” I say gently. “It was about getting free.”
“You came back,” she accuses.
“Because you asked me to. And I’m tired of hiding. I ran away because I felt I had to. But I’m done letting other people dictate my life.”