didn’t move because I didn’t want Vince to catch a glimpse of his younger brother’s rapidly dwindling erection.
“That’s different; Jorja’s a whore.”
I snorted at that because Jorja was nothing like me. She had only slept with one guy, and she only did that when they’d been dating for several months. Yet at fifteen, Josh was apparently already banging girls and had spent the last few days attempting to throw himself at me. I didn’t mind, and technically, I almost certainly deserved the label of whore. My sister did not. Nor was she the type of girl to stand and take shit from a gobby seventeen-year-old.
Her balled fist connected with the back of his head.
“I am not a whore!” Not the most original comeback by my sister, but I think along with the punch it got her point across.
“Ye good?” I said in an undertone as I caught Josh’s gaze in mine and dropped my eyes surreptitiously to his crotch. Wide-eyed, he nodded and I jumped to my feet, crossing quickly to Jorja’s side. I stood squarely in front of her as Vince regained his footing and whirled around to face her. He hesitated when he saw me looking down on him with cold eyes.
“Touch my sister, and I’ll knock yer teeth out, understand?”
Vince was shorter than I was, but he was still around six foot and he was stockier and undoubtedly stronger. But I’ve always been stronger than I look, and the three Jackson brothers—especially Vince and Trystan—knew this better than most; they grew up sporting the bruises from picking on me. Jorja, too, could defend herself, but after sixteen years of her standing in front of me, I liked the chance to repay the favor. Still…. I flicked my blue eyes up toward Trystan. Growing up being bullied for how I look, then who I like, meant I was pretty used to being beaten up; I had a high pain threshold. So I could probably hurt Vince more than he hurt me, but if Trystan helped, I was going to get my ass kicked and I would just have to hope that they wouldn’t turn on Jorja as well.
“Vince, apologize to Josh and Jorja, then go cool your head.” Trystan’s voice was full of cold fury.
I wasn’t alone in looking slightly startled.
“No way, Trys. Did you not see what the fag was—” Vince cut off as Trystan’s hand twisted in around the bones of his shoulder.
“ Yes , I saw. Yes , I think it’s disgusting. And yes —I’m fucking furious .” Trystan’s voice was low and somehow, even though his dark eyes were fixed on Vince, I felt like everything he said was directed at me. “But did it look to you like Josh couldn’t have run away? No! So before you go around throwing insults at people, why don’t you think about what that makes our brother and whether you’re going to disown or belittle him for who he likes?”
He didn’t give Vince a chance to argue or even to give the apology he had demanded, he just tossed him to one side as if his brother was a ragdoll. Then he turned to me.
“ You ,” he hissed, “are the whore in this situation.”
I shrugged. “Yeah, and ? I don’t deny it.”
“You said you weren’t going to do anything.”
“I didn’t. It was a kiss, Trystan. I didn’t touch him.”
“It was my fault, Trys, I just wanted to see. Ide didn’t force me or anything,” Josh cut in, his voice surprisingly strong as he took half a step toward his eldest brother.
“Shut up, Josh. The difference is Idrys is old enough to know better, and besides”—he turned that hateful gaze back to me—“he probably used some faggy mind tricks on you to confuse you.”
“Hmm, hypocrite much?”
Trystan ground his teeth, he visibly tried to temper his annoyance as he turned to Josh.
“Sorry, Josh, it’s fine if you’re gay. I’m just pissed at this dickhead.”
I felt a hand on my shoulder and twisted round to see Jorja glaring up at me. She leaned forward to hiss angrily in my ear so only I would hear. “Yer an idiot! Just in case yer stupid enough not t’
“That’s different; Jorja’s a whore.”
I snorted at that because Jorja was nothing like me. She had only slept with one guy, and she only did that when they’d been dating for several months. Yet at fifteen, Josh was apparently already banging girls and had spent the last few days attempting to throw himself at me. I didn’t mind, and technically, I almost certainly deserved the label of whore. My sister did not. Nor was she the type of girl to stand and take shit from a gobby seventeen-year-old.
Her balled fist connected with the back of his head.
“I am not a whore!” Not the most original comeback by my sister, but I think along with the punch it got her point across.
“Ye good?” I said in an undertone as I caught Josh’s gaze in mine and dropped my eyes surreptitiously to his crotch. Wide-eyed, he nodded and I jumped to my feet, crossing quickly to Jorja’s side. I stood squarely in front of her as Vince regained his footing and whirled around to face her. He hesitated when he saw me looking down on him with cold eyes.
“Touch my sister, and I’ll knock yer teeth out, understand?”
Vince was shorter than I was, but he was still around six foot and he was stockier and undoubtedly stronger. But I’ve always been stronger than I look, and the three Jackson brothers—especially Vince and Trystan—knew this better than most; they grew up sporting the bruises from picking on me. Jorja, too, could defend herself, but after sixteen years of her standing in front of me, I liked the chance to repay the favor. Still…. I flicked my blue eyes up toward Trystan. Growing up being bullied for how I look, then who I like, meant I was pretty used to being beaten up; I had a high pain threshold. So I could probably hurt Vince more than he hurt me, but if Trystan helped, I was going to get my ass kicked and I would just have to hope that they wouldn’t turn on Jorja as well.
“Vince, apologize to Josh and Jorja, then go cool your head.” Trystan’s voice was full of cold fury.
I wasn’t alone in looking slightly startled.
“No way, Trys. Did you not see what the fag was—” Vince cut off as Trystan’s hand twisted in around the bones of his shoulder.
“ Yes , I saw. Yes , I think it’s disgusting. And yes —I’m fucking furious .” Trystan’s voice was low and somehow, even though his dark eyes were fixed on Vince, I felt like everything he said was directed at me. “But did it look to you like Josh couldn’t have run away? No! So before you go around throwing insults at people, why don’t you think about what that makes our brother and whether you’re going to disown or belittle him for who he likes?”
He didn’t give Vince a chance to argue or even to give the apology he had demanded, he just tossed him to one side as if his brother was a ragdoll. Then he turned to me.
“ You ,” he hissed, “are the whore in this situation.”
I shrugged. “Yeah, and ? I don’t deny it.”
“You said you weren’t going to do anything.”
“I didn’t. It was a kiss, Trystan. I didn’t touch him.”
“It was my fault, Trys, I just wanted to see. Ide didn’t force me or anything,” Josh cut in, his voice surprisingly strong as he took half a step toward his eldest brother.
“Shut up, Josh. The difference is Idrys is old enough to know better, and besides”—he turned that hateful gaze back to me—“he probably used some faggy mind tricks on you to confuse you.”
“Hmm, hypocrite much?”
Trystan ground his teeth, he visibly tried to temper his annoyance as he turned to Josh.
“Sorry, Josh, it’s fine if you’re gay. I’m just pissed at this dickhead.”
I felt a hand on my shoulder and twisted round to see Jorja glaring up at me. She leaned forward to hiss angrily in my ear so only I would hear. “Yer an idiot! Just in case yer stupid enough not t’
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