Fighting Ever After (Ever After #3) by Stephanie Hoffman McManus

eyes off the
road to look over at me briefly.
    “You can think whatever
you want. Doesn’t make you right.” I was glad the
others had decided to take Ace’s car. I didn’t need them listening to Chris and
giving me shit as well.
    “No, but it makes you a
damn fool.”
    “Why is that?” I don’t
even know why I was humoring him, other than I was stuck in this vehicle with
him and it wasn’t like I could just open the door and jump out onto the
freeway.
    “Because, she could turn
out to be the best thing that ever happened to you, but you won’t even allow
yourself to consider it.”
    “There’s nothing to
see.” My patience was running out. “You want the fucking truth? Yeah, I like
her. I’ve got fucking eyes so I’m attracted to her, and I can actually stand to
be around her with her clothes on, but it doesn’t mean what you want it to
mean.”
    “Only because you won’t
let it,” he said, his frustration leaking into his words.
    “Because
I don’t want it.” His face pulled into a frown, but he didn’t respond. “I’m not interested in
what you’re talking about. I know you do that whole dating game, but I’m not
you. She’s just a girl. Despite how she’s caught my interest, she’ll never be
more than that to me.”
    He looked like he was
about to argue, but I cut him off. “Before you get pissed off, I get that she
matters to you and your brother. I can even see why, and I’m not trying to
fucking hurt her. I want her, but I’m not going to lie to her or trick her into
bed with me. Whatever happens will be what she wants, but you need to let go of
the idea that if anything happens between us, it will be more than temporary.”
    “She’s not the kind of
girl to do temporary, so you either decide to give her a real chance, or you
just leave her alone,” he issued his big brother warning not for the first
time. I wasn’t going to start a fight. I already told him that whatever
happened or didn’t, would be what she wanted. As sweet as she was, she wasn’t a
little girl. She could make her own choices. We could be friends and have a
little fun without things having to get complicated, and if she wanted to keep
it between just us, I would be fine with not having Bas and Chris trying to
fucking castrate me because they didn’t want to accept that she was a grown
damn adult.
    “Ky, did you hear me?”
    “Yeah, I heard you. Loud and clear. Don’t worry about it,” I told him.
    “You say that, but I do
worry. I worry that you’re going to mess with her, and I worry that you’re
going to be this pissed off, detached, bastard forever. I mean, it works great
for the tortured, brooding rock star image, but eventually you’ve got to get
over it man.”
    “I don’t exactly see you
in a lasting, committed relationship.” He had his own issues, which is why I
was surprised he was even pushing this.
    “Maybe not, but I
actually have relationships. I get more out of spending time with a girl than
just getting off. Commitment isn’t my issue, but it’s got to be the right girl.
I haven’t found her yet.” I didn’t want to argue anymore, so I just let it go.
Neither one of us said anything else until we were pulling up outside Jaxyn’s
house. Ace was right behind us with Spade and Danny.
    “Remember, there’s going
to be a child here, so watch the language,” Chris said before we went in.
    “Yes Dad, we’ll behave,”
Spade promised, but it didn’t sound the least bit reassuring. Chris shook his
head and then we all followed him inside. Sebastian was in the living room with
the Red Sox game turned on, watching with Vi and her
boyfriend Jake.
    “What’s the score?” Ace
immediately asked, dropping into the recliner, making himself at home. Danny and Spade were standing around, taking in the room. I watched a
few minutes of the game, but it didn’t hold my attention. I found what I was
interested in, banging around in the kitchen.
    “ Oww . Crap.” I watched as she jerked