“I wasn’t sure since you blew me off in Boston.”
My hands clench into fists at how sad my baby sounds. Yes I know I walked away from her, but he’s her brother. No matter how mad I get at JD—and let’s be honest, that’s bound to happen with how headstrong she is—I will always be there for her. You show up when it counts. It’s what family does.
“I was still processing.”
Mels frowns, and I can tell she’s biting back a retort.
“I thought you two broke up.” His words come out like an accusation.
“We did. We just got back together,” Mels admits.
“Were you not watching us on stage?” I ask sarcastically.
I didn’t think it was possible, but his scowl deepens.
“You’re doing this to fuck with me, aren’t you?” Nate asks me.
“The fuck?”
Is this asshole for real?
“Was this all a game? Hoping hearing about you screwing my sister would mess up my concentration and give you an edge when we play?”
“You can’t be serious. Is that a legit question? Because if it is, you’re completely fucked in the head.” I cross my arms, hoping to keep from throwing a punch.
“What?” He shrugs, feigning innocence. “I wouldn’t put it past someone with your reputation.”
“You’re fucking kidding me, right?” Incredulity bleeds into my words. This fucker. This guy who would taunt me by spewing vile slurs about my twin and the other important women in my life to get under my skin is going to stand here and accuse me of using his sister.
Like hell I’ll stand for this shit. I purposely held back this particular issue I had with the older Bishop, but if he wants to throw stones, I’m going to launch some fucking boulders.
“You don’t want to do this with me, Bishop,” I warn. Like the fuckwad he is, he preens like a motherfucking peacock.
Shit. My temper is definitely flaring with this confrontation, because the amount of F-bombs I’m dropping increases tenfold.
“I’ll do whatever I have to do to keep my baby sister away from a subpar-playing playboy like you.”
With each word spoken, Melody’s eyes narrow fractionally, and if that wasn’t enough to broadcast her displeasure with him, the flaring of her nostrils is.
“Teddy!” Melody rounds on Nate. “What the fuck?”
“It’s fine, baby.” It’s not, but I can suck it up and be the bigger man for my girl. It’s not like I didn’t say worse to her.
“No. It’s not.”
“Insult me all you want.” Asshole, I think, but I keep that part to myself. “The stats speak for themselves. But tell me this: what kind of asshole ignores his sister over her choice of boyfriend?”
Okay, I guess I couldn’t hold back the asshole line like I thought I could. But for reals, when JD told me she knew about Nate being Melody’s brother before the whole Fallon incident, I didn’t stop speaking to her over it. I gave her shit, she raised hell over me not telling her about my feelings of inadequacy, we hugged it out, and we moved on. You don’t hold grudges when it comes to family.
“Care Bear,” Nate cajoles.
“Don’t, Nate.” She places a hand on his arm. “You both love me.” He scoffs at that. “Can’t you put aside your differences for me?”
“It’s because I love you that I can’t allow this to happen.”
Oh, wrong thing to say, buddy.
“Allow? You can’t allow it?”
Discreetly, I knuckle my eardrum. She’s reaching decibels not meant for human ears.
“Mels,” he tries again.
“Nate,” she deadpans.
“I’ll never be okay with this.” He gestures between Mels and me.
Who the fuck does he think he is?
“That’s not up for you to decide, Nathan.”
Does a part of me love how she’s sticking up for herself? For us? Yes.
Do I enjoy seeing her fight with the only family who—until recently—has been there for her? Not even a little bit.
“I’m sorry, Mels.” He sounds anything but. “I love you too much to sit back and let this asshat take advantage of you.”
I’ll show you who’s the asshat, fuckwad.
“What are you saying?” Melody eyes him warily.
“If you want me in your life”—he points an aggressive finger at me—“then he can’t be in it.”
“What?” she sobs, falling back a few paces.
“I can’t support this, and I won’t sit by and watch it blow up.”
Holy shit I wish I were live-streaming this for The Coven. They would tear him apart so bad there wouldn’t be enough left of him to bury—metaphorically speaking, of course.
Two more steps and my baby is at my side, pressing herself against me. My arm automatically wraps around her middle, hugging her in tight.
“I’m serious, Mels.” He watches us with disdain.
Another choked sob escapes the woman I love, and it feels like my insides are being sliced open with a skate. Walking away from her was the biggest mistake of my life, yet I’m about to do it for a second time.
I refuse to be the catalyst for my baby to lose the last vestige of family she has, even if it will be like reaching inside my chest and leaving my heart behind in the process.
“Fine.” I bring Mels around to face me, keeping her back to her traitorous brother. Cupping her beautiful face in my hands, I press my thumbs underneath her chin to tilt it up toward me. The tears streaking down her cheeks have me once again fighting the urge to bash Nate’s face in for daring to make her cry.
“Jase.”
“I know, baby.” I do. I really, really do. “I promised myself I would never walk away from you again, but I’m going to have to break that promise.” I reach up to wipe away another tear. “You know how I feel about family. I can’t be the cause of you losing yours.”
The tears fall freely now, and when she starts to weep, I nearly cave. I can’t though.
I may not have known she was talking about Nate when she told me the stories, but there was no missing how much they mean to each other. A broken heart is a small price to pay to ensure she doesn’t lose more than she bargained for.
“I’m sorry.” My body revolts as I bend to her ear so only she can hear me. My next words are for us and only us. “You’ll always be my Sweet Potato.” I press a kiss behind her ear, her nails digging into my sides as she clutches me to her tighter. “I love you.”
With one last kiss to her neck, I straighten and somehow manage to walk out of the room.
Chapter Fifty-Seven
After watching the man I love walk away from me for the second time in as many months, I shift my attention to my brother, not really sure how to process everything.
There was the performance of my life.
One hell of a grand gesture.
Declarations of love.
Sex so hot if I were to text the girls about it, I would use all the fire emojis.
Then my brother showing up. My heart tripped over itself when I realized he did come, but then he had to go and lay out an ultimatum like he’s the boss of me.