I knew how to lock down everything, but this . . . the desire for Crisis was intensifying and I didn’t know how to stop it.
My brother’s shoulders were tense and his lips pursed together as he walked across the yard. “He looks pissed.”
“Yep. Don’t worry about it. It’s nothing compared to when I hit on Kat. That was pissed.”
“You hit on Kat?” I asked.
“Fuck yeah, Ream was being a pussy and not claiming her. I helped him out.”
I didn’t have time to respond as my brother stopped in front of us. “What the hell, man?” Ream said. “I told you I didn’t want you anywhere near my sister. One day. One fuckin’ day and you’re all over her.”
Crisis completely ignored his outburst. “You going to say hi to your sister?”
Ream grunted then his scowl lifted and his eyes softened. “Haven, hon. You okay?” My brother’s hands were curled into fists. I reached out and wrapped my hand around his, and instantly he relaxed. He dragged me into his arms and gave me a hug. “How’s school?”
Despite loving my brother, I was still uneasy being held in his arms. He was my twin and there’d always been a strong connection between us. I was afraid of what he’d find if I got too close. I’d always been the little angel, until I screwed that up. “It’s school.”
“What are you two doing out here?” Ream asked his tone tight.
“Crisis is teaching me to drive.”
“Drive?” he repeated, looking from Crisis back to me again.
I glanced over my shoulder at the garage where the lawn mower sat. “Yeah. We’re starting small.”
Ream was quiet.
Crisis chuckled. “Your sister is a natural with the lawnmower.”
I bit my lip to stop from smiling, but Ream noticed my reaction because he got that look, like when we were kids and he would get all sweet and nudge me on the tip of my nose with his finger. He hadn’t done that since we were kids. “Lawnmower?”
I nodded. “He thought it was . . .” I hesitated. Fun?
“Safety first,” Crisis finished.
Ream’s eyes narrowed as he looked from me to Crisis and back again. “Nothing better be happening here. I’m serious, Crisis.”
Crisis put up his hands. “Bro, she’s my . . . sister.”
Ream snorted. “By association and a fuck of a flimsy association.”
“Yeah, well, Mom might have something to say about that. Haven is part of the family now. And she is going to have a shit fit when she sees that new tat on your neck.”
Ream huffed. “She won’t even notice it when she’s busy bitching about your hair. Fuckin’ cut the locks, man.”
“I like his hair.” Why did I just say that? My brother’s eyes widened, appearing startled by my comment. Damn it, I was startled by my comment. “I’m going to . . . the clothes need to go in the wash,” I quickly added and headed for the house.
“You already did that,” Crisis yelled after me. I heard his chortle trail after me.
Kat was in the kitchen when I came in the front door. She smiled and set her water on the counter then came straight for me. “Hey.” She grabbed my hands and squeezed them. “You look great. How’s school? And Hank? Has he been managing the horses okay? And Tear? Where is Tear?”
Tear was Logan and Emily’s German Sheppard that lived on their farm, but when they traveled, he came and stayed with Hank. “I saw Hank drive out with him in his truck this morning so I assume he was taking him home.” He’d been laughing and shaking his head at Crisis and I on the lawnmower as he drove by.
“Yeah, she’s crazy about that dog. Do you know she had Hank send her pics every day?” Kat and I chatted. Well, it was more like she chatted and I answered when necessary. When I managed to escape to my room, I changed into my work out clothes then snuck out the side door to go running until any emotion I had was exhausted and buried.
I DROVE UP to my parents’ place an hour before everyone else was due to arrive. I’d searched around the house for Haven to ask her to ride with me, but she took off somewhere.
The house sat on a cul-de-sac backing onto the golf course. It was a kick-ass house with a massive deck out back, five bedrooms and a state-of-the-art kitchen; one of my mom’s favorite things to do was cook. There was a pool table downstairs that Ream and I spent hours playing on, and yeah, I fucked a few chicks on it, too. I probably fucked a chick in every room in the house except my parents’—that was just gross.
“Mom.” I hugged her as soon as she opened the door. She was the best, and had always supported my music. My dad did too, although, he used to grumble and complain about the noise. Admittedly, it was fuckin’ noise when I first started learning the guitar. But my dad soundproofed the garage so I could play as often as I wanted.
She pulled back and clucked her tongue while smoothing back my hair like I was five years old. “Vincent! You need a haircut.”
“Fuck that, Mom, chicks love the blond curls.” And Haven just said this morning she liked my hair.
She rolled her eyes, but I think it was more due to my language than the chick referral.
My mom was tall, five-foot-seven, and had slim narrow hips and legs with big feet. Yeah, it was one of those things that she’d been teased about when she was in high school. “Looking good. You trying to impress some hot guy other than Dad?” Her auburn hair had been highlighted with gentle blonde streaks and hung in a stylish bob.