“Brooke,” Avery’s father said, shaking his head. “That’s enough out of you.”
“What did I do?” she asked innocently. “I’m just kidding.”
“The hell you are.” I curled my lip.
Brooke’s eyes widened. I’d had to put up with her shit all through high school when she bullied both Avery and Kayla.
“Apologize,” I demanded, crossing my arms.
The kitchen was silent again.
Avery groaned.
“Now.”
With a sigh and a fake smile, Brooke winked at her sister and said, “I was just kidding, Avery Bug. You’re so lucky to have Lucas Thorn in your bed. Just make sure he stumbles into the right one—we don’t want a repeat of last time.”
She sauntered off, leaving me burning with rage and a heavy, heavy dose of guilt. Because she was right. I did go into the wrong bedroom, and I did pursue the sister of my fiancée. It was my mistake. And now I was paying for it all over again—and so was Avery. Which just made me all the more enraged because I wanted to protect her.
I wanted to love her.
And Avery’s eyes filled with tears.
“Come here.” I tugged her into my arms. “Don’t listen to her, okay?” I knew we had an audience, but my only goal was to make sure Avery didn’t take what her sister had said to heart, because Brooke had no idea just how her comments had hit home.
Because I was a cheater.
I knew it.
Avery knew it.
And she was looking at me like she knew it—like she knew I was one choice away from ruining whatever we had, even though that was the last thing I wanted.
“Let’s go for a walk.” I gripped her hand, grabbed two full glasses of wine, and shoved past Brooke and Kayla, who were already conspiring in the corner—at least that’s what it looked like, though Kayla was wiping tears from her cheeks.
Hell. I was in absolute hell.
“Happy engagement,” Avery muttered. “You know, if this was real, I’d be pissed.”
I froze. “The engagement? Or us?”
“The engagement.” She stopped walking. “I know you’re real—I sleep with you.”
I sighed and kissed her head.
“Once all the family members from both sides are here, we’ll make our apologies and leave,” Avery said in a steady voice. “Austin and Thatch are already planning on giving us an out.”
I’d forgotten they were coming.
At least I’d have one person other than the moms and Avery who didn’t want to kill me, right?
Chapter Thirty-Eight
AVERY
“Hey”—Lucas kissed my temple—“you alive?”
“Well, for now, but if looks could kill . . .” I set down my wineglass and turned around so I wouldn’t have to watch Brooke’s angry scowl.
Lucas gripped my hand. “She’s just unhappy, Avery. And when people are unhappy they like to make everyone around them unhappy too.”
I turned and examined my sister with new eyes. “Has she always been this horrible though? Or is this new?”
“Polite Lucas would say this is completely new—she must have had a hard life. Poor Brooke, I feel sorry for her. Let’s go pat her on the head.”
“Eh, I’m tired of polite Lucas already.”
“God, so am I,” his voice rumbled in my ear as he tugged me into his arms. “Okay, so asshole Lucas Thorn—the one you’ve grown quite attached to—would just say out of complete honesty that your sister has always been cruel. In high school she picked on anyone she thought was beneath her and walked around like the world owed her something. Brooke has always had a superior attitude and is clearly dealing with some serious emotional issues since she’s been forced to move back home with your parents. Besides”—he cupped my cheek—“you’re prettier, and the red in your hair is real. This battle between you guys? You’re not going to win it, because she will always find a reason to justify her nastiness toward you, only to apologize and try to gain your love and then stomp all over it again.”
I gazed at him in wide-eyed amazement. “You really didn’t seduce her.”
His eyes lowered to my mouth. “Believe me when I say, your mouth, your body, you, Avery Black, were the only thing I was craving that night.”
“Other than water,” I added with a smirk.
He barked out a laugh. “Yes, other than water.”
“This could work,” I blurted. “I know we aren’t supposed to talk about other days but—”
He silenced me with his mouth and then whispered across my lips. “This is working.”
“Present tense.”
He nodded.
I grabbed his hand and led him down the hall, fully aware that Brooke’s eyes followed us like a laser beam the entire way.
Once we reached his old bedroom, I opened the door, pushed him inside, turned the lock, and waited.
“Something on your mind, Avery Bug?” His eyes burned with passion.
I leaped into his arms, not really giving him a chance to say anything since the minute he balanced us, our mouths were already meeting, caressing one another in a fiery explosion of desire.
“How do I get this damn thing off?” He cursed against my neck as his hands blindly reached for the zipper to my dress.
Laughing as he continued to fumble, I finally smacked his cheek lightly and said, “Allow me.”