asshole.”
Lucas scrubbed his hand over his hair. “I know.”
“And I trusted you. And you’re a lying bastard who slept with my sister. And we both know you aren’t going to marry her or anything.”
Now it was Lucas’s turn to want to hit something. “Are you accusing me of using her? That’s one too far, Mac.”
“What? You’re telling me you aren’t? All you do is use women. I know, I’ve been doing it with you for the better part of my adult life.”
“So you assume I’d do that to Carly? Because I was as much of a jackass as you were when we were younger, that’s all you think I am now?”
“You don’t even like Carly! She doesn’t like you. You’re at each other’s throats constantly. You can’t pretend you suddenly have feelings for her.”
He did, though. And he understood just how strong they were the moment Mac accused him of not having any. The realization was enough to bring him to his knees. But there was no way he could say anything about it. Not yet. Not when he was just realizing that they existed. Not when he had a very angry audience looking on, either.
“Get out, Mac.”
His friend crossed his very large arms over his chest. “You can’t tell me to get out.”
Lucas looked around the living room. “Uh . . . yes, I can. This is my house.”
“And that’s my sister.”
“Who has free will, I believe.”
“Who is standing right here,” Carly said. “Mac, shut the hell up. Seriously. Stop acting like I’m not in the room. Stop acting like I can’t make my own decisions, or like I’m some damsel in distress when I am damn well not.” She turned on Lucas. “And you, you stop it too.”
Lucas threw his arms out wide. “What did I do?”
“The same thing he did. Speaking for me.”
“Well, you weren’t speaking.”
She turned pink to the roots of her hair. “I’m standing here half naked, and I’m embarrassed, and actually,” she directed her focus to her brother, “Mac, get out.”
“I’m not leaving.”
“Why? Do you think Lucas dragged me to his bed by the hair? I hopped into it,” she said, her voice trembling now. “I made the choice, okay? So it’s not really any of your business. I’m sorry it makes you mad. No, no I’m not sorry it makes you mad. You have no right to let it make you mad. I’m not yours. I’m not . . . anyone’s. I’m mine, and I can make my own damn mistakes.”
“So, now I’m a mistake?” Lucas asked, anger burning through him.
She held up her hand. “Not the time, Lucas.”
“You just called me a mistake.”
“You will be,” she said, her voice rising. “We both know that.”
“Why, because Mac says it will be? Because Mac says he doesn’t think I want anything from you but sex?”
“Watch it,” Mac said, teeth gritted.
“Out,” Lucas said.
Mac looked from Carly to Lucas, and for some reason, he decided to comply. Then Lucas looked back at Carly and understood why. Carly’s face was red, her hands shaking, her eyes glistening.
“You’re not off the hook, Miller,” Mac said. “And neither are you.” He directed the last line at Carly, before walking out of the house and slamming the front door behind him.
A tear slid down Carly’s cheek and she wiped it away. “That was awful,” she said. “Awful. All that was missing was a bar of crowded people looking on and taking bets on whether or not there would be bloodshed.”
He shook his head. “You’re not your mom, Carly. That wasn’t what this was. I lied to Mac, which is half of why he’s pissed.”
“But look what happens! Look what happens when there’s all this . . . passion. It makes everything so uncontrolled. So crazy. And I just . . . I don’t want this.” She sounded frantic, panicked almost. Being with him, the thought of it, made her panicked. Well, hell.
“You don’t want this?” he echoed. And just like that, the visions of forever dissolved around him.
“No.”
“How can you say you don’t
Lucas scrubbed his hand over his hair. “I know.”
“And I trusted you. And you’re a lying bastard who slept with my sister. And we both know you aren’t going to marry her or anything.”
Now it was Lucas’s turn to want to hit something. “Are you accusing me of using her? That’s one too far, Mac.”
“What? You’re telling me you aren’t? All you do is use women. I know, I’ve been doing it with you for the better part of my adult life.”
“So you assume I’d do that to Carly? Because I was as much of a jackass as you were when we were younger, that’s all you think I am now?”
“You don’t even like Carly! She doesn’t like you. You’re at each other’s throats constantly. You can’t pretend you suddenly have feelings for her.”
He did, though. And he understood just how strong they were the moment Mac accused him of not having any. The realization was enough to bring him to his knees. But there was no way he could say anything about it. Not yet. Not when he was just realizing that they existed. Not when he had a very angry audience looking on, either.
“Get out, Mac.”
His friend crossed his very large arms over his chest. “You can’t tell me to get out.”
Lucas looked around the living room. “Uh . . . yes, I can. This is my house.”
“And that’s my sister.”
“Who has free will, I believe.”
“Who is standing right here,” Carly said. “Mac, shut the hell up. Seriously. Stop acting like I’m not in the room. Stop acting like I can’t make my own decisions, or like I’m some damsel in distress when I am damn well not.” She turned on Lucas. “And you, you stop it too.”
Lucas threw his arms out wide. “What did I do?”
“The same thing he did. Speaking for me.”
“Well, you weren’t speaking.”
She turned pink to the roots of her hair. “I’m standing here half naked, and I’m embarrassed, and actually,” she directed her focus to her brother, “Mac, get out.”
“I’m not leaving.”
“Why? Do you think Lucas dragged me to his bed by the hair? I hopped into it,” she said, her voice trembling now. “I made the choice, okay? So it’s not really any of your business. I’m sorry it makes you mad. No, no I’m not sorry it makes you mad. You have no right to let it make you mad. I’m not yours. I’m not . . . anyone’s. I’m mine, and I can make my own damn mistakes.”
“So, now I’m a mistake?” Lucas asked, anger burning through him.
She held up her hand. “Not the time, Lucas.”
“You just called me a mistake.”
“You will be,” she said, her voice rising. “We both know that.”
“Why, because Mac says it will be? Because Mac says he doesn’t think I want anything from you but sex?”
“Watch it,” Mac said, teeth gritted.
“Out,” Lucas said.
Mac looked from Carly to Lucas, and for some reason, he decided to comply. Then Lucas looked back at Carly and understood why. Carly’s face was red, her hands shaking, her eyes glistening.
“You’re not off the hook, Miller,” Mac said. “And neither are you.” He directed the last line at Carly, before walking out of the house and slamming the front door behind him.
A tear slid down Carly’s cheek and she wiped it away. “That was awful,” she said. “Awful. All that was missing was a bar of crowded people looking on and taking bets on whether or not there would be bloodshed.”
He shook his head. “You’re not your mom, Carly. That wasn’t what this was. I lied to Mac, which is half of why he’s pissed.”
“But look what happens! Look what happens when there’s all this . . . passion. It makes everything so uncontrolled. So crazy. And I just . . . I don’t want this.” She sounded frantic, panicked almost. Being with him, the thought of it, made her panicked. Well, hell.
“You don’t want this?” he echoed. And just like that, the visions of forever dissolved around him.
“No.”
“How can you say you don’t
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