Home > Boys South of the Mason Dixon (South of the Mason Dixon #1)(15)

Boys South of the Mason Dixon (South of the Mason Dixon #1)(15)
Author: Abbi Glines

“Go home, Dixie. Please,” I begged her, before Steel could say anything more.

She shook her head and backed away unsteadily. Her face had paled and I realized that driving probably wasn’t safe.

“Wait, don’t drive. Not like this. I’ll drive you and I’ll walk back.” I then yanked my arms free.

“How do you know?” she asked.

Telling Dixie anything more would only hurt her further. The people who’d conceived her both then abandoned her. This was all much worse for her than it could ever be for us. Didn’t Steel understand that? She was losing so much more. I wanted Dixie to live the life I couldn’t give her, the one I’d planned on, where she never doubted how special or loved she was. I just shook my head, refusing to give her any answers.

“How?” Dixie asked again, staring at me with a pleading look in her eyes. The light in those eyes that I loved seeing was completely snuffed out now. Steel had destroyed her soul. I would never be able to forgive him. “You won’t tell me anything. How do I even know this isn’t some stupid mistake? Who told you this, Asher?”

If I told her about the letters, she would demand that I show her. I didn’t want this touching Dixie any more than it already had. I preferred letting her walk away, without believing a word. “Go home to your daddy,” I repeated.

“He found letters from your mom to our dad. Under a floorboard in the attic three years ago. He didn’t tell anyone because he thinks he’s protecting you,” Steel said, now standing again, his eyes remaining on me.

Bray’s hand clamped down on my shoulder. “She deserves to know this, too. Stop trying to protect her, Asher.”

“Letters? You have letters?” she asked, her eyes glistening with new tears. “You have letters saying that my daddy isn’t my father? That you . . .” she stopped and covered her mouth, unleashing a sob that shredded me. Rocked me through to the core. Her knees buckled and I started to move toward her, but Bray stopped me, moving instead. “No, I got her,” he said. I let him go, he loved her too, but he loved her the way a brother should.

Bray pulled her into his arms. He held her as she tucked her head under his chin and sobbed. That was all that I’d wanted. Someone to hold her the way she needed it.

“She deserved to know,” Steel said, reminding me that he was still here.

“No one deserves this,” I replied, before turning and walking to my truck. I had to leave, I couldn’t stay here, watching Dixie fall apart. Just when I thought I couldn’t hurt any more, I was again proven wrong. Knowing that Dixie would now live this nightmare was more than I could handle.

“Are you really dating Dixie?” Steel asked, as he reached the top of the stairs leading up to my attic bedroom. I’d always wondered if Steel liked Dixie. After all, they were the same age, she was beautiful, kind and smart. Why wouldn’t he like her? He should. Part of me hoped he would. Then I could stop feeling guilty about wanting a girl three years younger than me and that I had no business being with.

“Yeah,” I replied, picking up my duffel bag that had my clean uniform in it for the game later on tonight. “You good with that?” I wasn’t sure why I asked. If he wasn’t, it wouldn’t change anything. He’d had years to show interest in Dixie. Years. He’d missed his chance.

He didn’t respond right away. He needed to get to the fieldhouse. He was a freshman and wasn’t starting, but he’d be taking my place next year. He had to act like my backup and be ready. “She’s a freshman, Asher. You’re going off to Florida next year.”

Steel was stating the obvious. I calmly responded to my brother, “and when that time gets closer, Dix and I will deal with that like we should.”

“She’s okay with you leaving?”

Sighing, I grabbed my hat and put it on. “Look, if you like Dixie, you had years to show it. To do something. You never did. Once she turned fifteen, things changed for me. For us. She likes me, just as much as I like her. You can’t go getting weird about it now. Your time is up. Let’s get to the fieldhouse. Brent and Bray are already in the truck.”

He turned and headed back down the stairs. His frowning eyebrows told me he wasn’t done with this. I figured we’d have it eventually. Steel was quieter than me. He was more studious and thought things over before he spoke. This would be no different. The horn on the truck then began to blare. Momma spoke to warn against the time, “better get out there. Y’all gonna be late,” she said as we walked into the kitchen. “Play hard. I’ll be watching.” She said the same thing every Friday night. And we all loved to hear it.

“Yes, ma’am,” we replied in unison. I kissed her cheek then headed for the door. I knew Steel would do the same.

“You taking Dixie to Jack’s after the game?” Momma called out behind me.

“Yes ma’am,” I replied.

“You talked to Luke about that?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Good. Didn’t want to hear you’d been shot by the neighbor. That would be inconvenient.”

Smiling, I left the house, pushing thoughts of my brother, Dixie and her father back and away from the game. My focus had to be there. We were undefeated. I had to keep it that way. It was my responsibility.

“Get your asses out here! I don’t want to run sprints after the fucking game because the two of you ran us late!” Bray yelled. He was right. I didn’t want to run sprints either. “We better hurry,” I told Steel, as I broke into a run. We tossed our bags into the bed of the truck beside Brent, Steel climbing in back with him. Bray was sitting on the passenger’s side. We had taken our usual seats. Next year, it would be Dallas in the back and Brent and Bray in the front. I’d be off at college. The thought made me sad.

Dixie would be ten hours away. My life here would consist of holidays and a few short weeks in the summer. Steel was right. I had the rest of the school year. What if Dixie got tired of her boyfriend never being around? I’d lose her. She’d move on.

Fuck. I couldn’t think about that right now. I had a game. I’d think about it later. There had to be an answer. We hadn’t had enough time together, and losing her wasn’t an option.

Dixie Monroe

FOR THREE YEARS, I’d wanted answers. Countless nights, I’d lain in bed, thinking that just knowing Asher still loved me would’ve made everything okay. That was all that mattered. Nothing could hurt more than Asher not loving me anymore.

I’d been wrong.

So very wrong.

“Come on, Dix. Let’s take you home,” Bray said, as we began moving toward my Jeep. Home. My home. Was it still my home? Did Daddy know this? Did he love me anyway? Could I tell him? How could I tell him?

“Does my daddy know?” I asked Bray.

He reached around me and opened the passenger’s door. “I didn’t even know. So I’m not sure who knew, but it won’t make a difference to your daddy. He loves you and has loved you all your life. In his heart, you’re his little girl. That’s something I’m fucking positive about.”

I let Bray help me up into the Jeep. I felt as if I was walking through fog. Nothing made sense. My bearings were destroyed. I’d watched as Asher’s truck drove away, but I never saw Steel leave. I couldn’t look at him now, he’d been the one I hoped could eventually heal me, but he’d just made it all worse.

“Why would he keep this from me?” I asked, staring out the window at the field of hay, the birds moving, dipping, enjoying themselves, while I was trapped in hell.

“Because since you were a kid he’s protected you. He’d do anything to protect you, Dixie. It wasn’t the right decision, but it was because he loves you. He’s suffered alone for three years with this and all because he loves you. He didn’t want you to know it. He wanted you happy. You can’t completely fault him for that.”

He wanted me happy? He’d broken my heart. How was that making me happy? “He can’t love me. His actions prove different.”

Bray sighed and cranked the Jeep. “His love ain’t normal when it comes to you. Never was,” he replied. “But don’t doubt that he loves you, Dixie. Damn, he smashed in our little brother’s face because he was trying to protect you. Asher’s never hit one of us. We’ve hit each other and he’s broken it up, but he’s always brought it to a halt. He picked you over Steel. That’s fucking huge. Be mad at him for not telling you, but don’t think he doesn’t love you.”

   
Most Popular
» Nothing But Trouble (Malibu University #1)
» Kill Switch (Devil's Night #3)
» Hold Me Today (Put A Ring On It #1)
» Spinning Silver
» Birthday Girl
» A Nordic King (Royal Romance #3)
» The Wild Heir (Royal Romance #2)
» The Swedish Prince (Royal Romance #1)
» Nothing Personal (Karina Halle)
» My Life in Shambles
» The Warrior Queen (The Hundredth Queen #4)
» The Rogue Queen (The Hundredth Queen #3)
romance.readsbookonline.com Copyright 2016 - 2024