My life was pretty much perfect.
Jax wasn’t as weary of my mother as Christian was. I thought she’d won him over with her cooking. She came over often to make me dinner or to help me clean up my apartment. Part of her thought I was still that little girl who needed her in that way, and I happily obliged, missing out on all the years she wasn’t in my life.
I was busy with my classes. I was lucky enough to get scholarships that paid for my classes, apartment, and the things I needed, like groceries and spending money.
Next year we’d officially be graduating with our bachelors, but school didn’t finish for us. I’d be going for a master’s in English Literature. I wanted to be a college professor while Christian would be in his Pre-Med program for gynecology.
He wanted to be an OB-GYN, saying he couldn’t wait to deliver our babies. We talked about the future a lot, getting married, buying a house, having kids. Four to be exact. Two boys, two girls. We both wanted a big family.
He was the one who spoke about children more than I did. I’d never met a man who wanted to be a father more than Christian did. I thought it was because his dad was such an honorable man. He was Christian’s role model.
Christian was great with kids which didn’t surprise me. He was amazing at everything.
Wrapping his arm around my waist, he tugged me toward him. We were at his parents’ house, celebrating my birthday.
I always loved feeling his chest against my back. We’d spent his eighteenth birthday at a tattoo parlor where he inked our anniversary on his chest in roman numerals. It was the start of his addiction to tattoos, and he was now covered in them.
From his sleeves on both arms, down to his hands, chest, and back. It gave him this bad boy allure that I couldn’t get enough of. He was a living, breathing tattooed badass who was going to be a doctor. I couldn’t imagine the looks he was going to get during his internship at the hospital this summer.
He whispered in my ear from behind me, “You smell good enough to eat, Kins.”
“You did get me this perfume.”
“Why do you think I bought it for you?”
I spun around to face him, throwing my arms around his neck. “So you could eat me later?”
“I could eat you right now if we’d go up to my old bedroom.”
“I don’t think your parents would appreciate that very much.”
“I’ve fucked you in that bedroom plenty of times.”
“Yes.” I kissed him. “But they weren’t home, and neither was Autumn. You don’t want to give your sister the wrong idea. She’s fifteen now. You know she’s going to start dating soon.”
He kissed me back. “Over my dead body.”
“Christian! Don’t you want her to find love and be as happy as we are?”
“No.”
“Oh my God! You’re horrible.”
“She’s my little sister, it’s my job to protect her.”
“She’s not so little anymore.”
“She’s always going to be little to me.”
“Oh, come on! Don’t tell me you haven’t seen how much she’s grown up this past year. She’s gorgeous. Anytime we’re together, guys’ eyes land on her from across the room.”
“What fucking guys?”
“Babe! Stop! She’s turning into a woman, and you’re going to have to accept that. Who knows, maybe she’ll end up with your best friend.”
His eyes widened as he jerked back. “Where’d that come from?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. I think it’d be cute. You know she has a crush on him, right?”
“She does?”
“What? She’s had a crush on him ever since I can remember.”
“Bullshit. She sees him as a brother.”
“If you say so.”
“I’m serious. Besides, Julian would never do that to me. He sees her like a little sister too. He’s known her since she was born.”
I smiled, repeating, “If you say so.”
“Am I going to have to warn Julian to stay away from her?”
I shrugged again. “I don’t think it’s Julian you have to worry about.” I nodded to Julian, who was sitting on the kitchen barstool, with some blonde bimbo on his lap. “He doesn’t have a type, does he?”
He chuckled, “Who Julian? Are you really asking me that? You’ve known him for the last six years. You know he fucks anything with tits and ass.”
“Oh yeah … and who do you fuck?”
He grinned, making me blush. “These tits.” Roughly gripping onto my ass, he added, “And this ass.”
—Christian—
Hearing Kinley talk about Julian and Autumn was fucking with my head. Later that night, I found him out by the pool, drinking a beer. His latest chick was inside, talking to Jax.
“I’d probably go check on your piece of ass before Jax steals her from you.”
He looked behind me, seeing them laughing. “Let him have her. I already fucked her before the party.”
“Man…” I laughed. “You ever think you’re actually going to settle down?”
He shook his head. “Not made like you. One pussy for the rest of my life, that sounds like a prison sentence.”
“Is that right?”
“Why are you asking me this? Since when have you taken an interest in who I have in my bed?”
“Hey, as long as it’s not my little sister, I don’t fucking care where you stick your dick.”
He cocked an eyebrow. “Your little sister? Where did that come from?”
“Apparently, Autumn has had a crush on you for years now. You know anything about that?”
He placed his hand up in the air. “I barely talk to Autumn these days. If she’s had a crush on me, I haven’t noticed.”
“Great, let’s keep it that way.”
“Christian, are you threatening me?”
“No.” I smiled. “Just a warning.”
“A warning for what? To stay away from Autumn?”
“You said it. I didn’t.”
“You didn’t have to. Subtle, you’re not.”
“Why are you getting so defensive?”
“I’m not. You’re the one who came over to me to bust my balls about your little sister.”
“She’s off-limits, Julian.”
“I didn’t know she was suddenly an option.”
“She’s not, and let’s keep it that way.”
“Duly noted.”
“Christian!” Kinley hollered from the slider door. “Can you help me open this jar of salsa? It’s stuck!”
“Be right there!” Looking back at Julian, I questioned, “We good?”
“Yeah. Just fucking dandy.”
We clinked our beers together, and I went inside to help Kinley, keeping an eye on Autumn for the rest of the evening. The last thing I wanted to worry about was my best friend with my little sister. I had enough on my plate with constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop when it came to Kinley’s mother.
Don’t get me wrong, I was happy for her to have her mom in her life again, but it didn’t stop that little voice in the back of my head that continuously had me worried that one day she would fuck her over yet again.