Undisputed (13 page)

When my gaze finally lands on my stuff, I rush over and grab them before I bolt to the door. “I’ll be back later and you can tell me all about the rest of your visit.” I’m desperate for an escape but bested by my manners. Turning to face Breccan, I take a moment to collect myself. “Brock—er, Brec—it was really nice to meet you. Again. Thank you for coming to see my nephew. I know it will be the highlight of his year. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a thing to do.” Then I open the front door, and I have one foot out when I hear Brec speak again.

“Nice to meet you too, Sidney. Let me know if you need a highlight too.”

Looking over my shoulder at him, he winks at me.
Again.

What is it with this guy and winking? And why does it turn me on?

Before I say something I’ll regret, I walk out the door and slam it behind me. Then I decide that arrogant isn’t the only word that fits him. There’s an even better one.

Asshole.

I
t’s been a week since I met Connor, and even though I gave him my number before I left, I haven’t heard a word from him. While having lunch with Rebecca and Tripp, I decide to send him a text and see how he’s doing.

Me:
Hey, Connor. It’s Brec. How ya been, kid?

Leaving his house that day, I felt good. For the first time in a long time, I actually had a smile that wasn’t fake on my face. There was something about the kid I really liked. I’m not sure if it was the genuine happiness he had from meeting me or the fact that he didn’t sit around and mope because he was sick. For once in my adult life, though, someone wanted to hang out with me because of me and not what I could do for them. I mean, I tried giving the kid my watch and he politely turned it down, for fuck’s sake.

I’m still waiting for a response when I hear a throat clear across the table. Dropping my phone, I glance up and catch Rebecca staring at me.

“What?” I ask with more attitude than I intended.

She responds quickly, cutting her eyes to Tripp. “Nothing.”

This whole lunch has been awkward, and I can’t figure out why. I feel like there’s something Rebecca wants to say. She keeps clearing her throat and opening her mouth before clamping it shut or saying something random. She’s never been one to hold back before, so I’m beginning to worry that it’s something serious.

It isn’t unusual for Reb to show up with a pizza and a six-pack in the middle of the week, and we make it a point to have lunch together often. So, there was no reason to question it when she called asking to meet last minute. But, now that I think back on it, I realize she did sound strange during that brief conversation.

The three of us have been tight since middle school. We met when I was twelve. One afternoon, I was leaving football practice and stumbled across Tripp as he was getting pummeled by a couple of older kids behind the gym.

I stepped in to stop the ass-kicking about the same time this cute girl came racing around the corner, yelling his name. When she saw me jump in and take on the boys who were two years older than I was and twice as big, she dove in too. I’d never seen a girl fight before, and I think I may have fallen in love with her just a little right then.

As soon as the two chumps realized that a girl was kicking their ass, they took off. Rebecca just stood up and brushed her shorts off, and when she noticed that I was staring at her with my mouth hanging open, she said, “What? Want me to kick your ass too?” Laughing, she walked off, Tripp trailing behind her.

Even at the age of nine, she was beautiful, but any crush I might have had on her quickly disappeared when she actually did kick my ass a couple of days later. It was all in fun, but I realized she was never going to be anything more than the sister I didn’t have when she put me in a headlock for making fun of her doll.

Needless to say, we’ve been friends ever since.

Worry causes me to bark at her. “Just spit it out, Reb. You’ve been acting strange since we got here. It’s something.”

With a deep breath, she begins. “I’m worried about you. You’ve been out partying so much lately. Is there something going on with you?”

The concern on her face would usually warm my heart, but instead, it has the opposite effect. I can’t control the sudden irritation that bubbles up. Here, I was thinking she had cancer or some other terrible thing happening in her life, and really, she just wanted to bitch at me for a few wild nights out.

I snap, “I’m fine. I’m not doing anything I haven’t always done.” I pause before reminding her, “It wasn’t so long ago that you were right beside me every night.” Then I turn my gaze to Tripp.

He’s remained quiet throughout most of the meal. I suspect he’s the one that put her up to this little chat.

“Tripp? What is this? An intervention? Aren’t you supposed to write me a letter telling me how my partying negatively affects you or some shit?” I snipe sarcastically.

“No, this isn’t a fucking intervention, you cocksucker. And how ’bout you don’t be such a dick to my sister. She’s just worried about you.” He shifts his gaze to Rebecca and points a finger at her as his voice gets louder and his face turns red. “I told you not to say anything to him today.”

Rebecca glances around at the other patrons and offers an apologetic smile before turning back and putting a perfectly manicured finger to her lips. Her cheeks are red as well, but unlike Tripp, she’s embarrassed.

Still questioning whose idea this was, I grip the edge of the table in an attempt to calm myself. It makes no sense why I’m so angry at their questioning.

“Mom and Dad are concerned too, Brec,” Rebecca says quietly.

Her words cause me to freeze. The Tolers have always been far better parents than my own, and the thought of worrying them makes my stomach sink.

Maybe they’re right. Maybe I have been a little too reckless lately.

Shaking the doubt off, I level Tripp with a glare. “You’re absolutely right, man. I don’t care about your concerns because they’re ridiculous.” I let out a humorless laugh. “So what that I’ve been going out more? I kill myself in the gym for hours every day. I deserve to have a good time.” I turn my head towards Rebecca. Because Tripp put me on the spot, I might as well take him down with me. “Did you know that Tripp’s out with me every night, too?”

She rolls her eyes, and it’s obvious she doesn’t care. I can see that I’m not going to win this argument. But, I’m unaccustomed to losing anything so the prospect only fuels my anger.

Raising his voice even more, Tripp shouts, “Yeah, I’m out with you every night! But that’s because I don’t want you to end up in jail! Or fucking dead, Breccan. Jesus Christ.” Then he sucks in a deep breath. “Why are you such an asshole? Can’t you see that I’m on your side? I’m always on your side, dude. Someone has to watch out for you, it sure as hell isn’t those other pricks you hang out with. They’re using you. Or are you too stupid to see that? Fuck!” He stands up so quickly that the chair tips over backward and crashes to the ground.

People have started staring. I’m too worked up to give a shit though, so it only makes it worse.

“The fuck is everyone looking at?” I shout.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see the manager begin to shuffle over—probably to ask us to leave. No need to bother; I’m done anyway.

After throwing some money on the table, I storm out without another word to my two closest friends. Rebecca shouts my name across the parking lot as I start the engine on my Jag and all but turn it on its side while peeling out. It’s too early in the day to head to a bar, even for me. Hopping on the interstate, I decide to just drive, and it isn’t long before I realize I’m headed towards Connor’s town. It’s when I reach for my phone to see if he ever responded to my text that I realize I left it on the table at the restaurant.

“Son of a bitch!” I shout, banging my fist on the steering wheel.

There’s no way I can go back and show my face now. I only hope that Rebecca or Tripp grabbed it before they left.

“Damn it,” I mumble, rubbing my eyes with my thumb and my forefinger.

I shouldn’t have reacted like that. Reb and Tripp are the only true family I have besides Mark. While my parents may still be actually living, they aren’t worthy of being called family.

After that day behind the gym, I started spending as much time as I could with the Toler family. The crush I had on Rebecca was only part of the reason I spent so much time at their house. But the real reason was because my parents were too busy living their own lives to care about what I was doing. When they did bother to spend any time with me, dear old Mom and Dad spent it criticizing my every move.

What are you wearing?

Why are you hanging out with those kids?

Who asked your opinion?

When are you going to stop getting into so many fights?

I snap out of my trip down memory lane when I pull in front of the little house on Shade Street. After pulling the E-brake, I stare at the front door. I’m not sure why I even came here or what I expect. After a few minutes, I decide to get out. Hell, it can’t hurt to check in and say hi.

I’m heading towards the front door when the blinds on the window move. I’ve almost made it to the porch when the door is thrown open and Connor lunges out.

His face lights up with a wide smile and he asks, “Breccan! Dude, what are you doing here?”

“Hey, kid. I was just in the neighborhood. Thought I’d stop by and see how you were. I sent you a text but then left my phone somewhere. You busy today?” It’s not exactly the truth, but I don’t think he needs to know that I just made an ass of myself and had a huge fight with my friends.

Pushing the door open and stepping aside, Connor makes a sweeping gesture with his arm and replies, “Mi casa is su casa. Er…something like that. Spanish isn’t my first language.”

I laugh, already feeling ten times better. “So, you got some time for Xbox or what?”

“Hell yeah! I’m not doing anything today. Mom’s not here, so it’s just me and Aunt Sid.” He rolls his eyes. “She’s been cleaning and baking all morning. I’ve been hiding in my room so she doesn’t give me chores from her list of things to do today. Let me go up and turn off my TV and I’ll be right back.” He closes the door behind me and walks to the stairs.

He’s moving slower than the last time I saw him. Maybe coming today was a bad idea.

“Dude, I can’t believe you’re here. Again. Freaking awesome!” Connor shouts at me from halfway up the stairs.

Then again…maybe not
.

I wander towards the living room and notice that the house smells delicious. My stomach growls, and I lament the fact that I’m in the middle of training and can’t eat anything that actually tastes good.

My nose guides me in the direction of the mouthwatering smells, and as I round the corner to head into the kitchen, I’m stopped in my tracks.

With her back to me, Sidney is washing dishes and singing along to whatever is playing in her earbuds. She’s terribly out of tune, but she obviously doesn’t care. Swaying her hips from side to side, she’s lost in the music, and the bottom of her ass cheeks hang out of her shorts. Her T-shirt is so faded that it’s probably closer to gray than black, and there’s something sexy about the way her red strands are falling out of the messy bun piled on top of her head.

I lean my hip against the doorjamb and enjoy the show.

Mid-dance, she turns towards me, but her eyes are closed. The way her tits are bouncing with every thrust of her hips is sexy as hell. Just as I reach down to adjust myself, she opens her eyes while standing on her toes to put a plate away and sees me.

“Argh!” she shouts, dropping the plate. “What the fuck!”

The plate lands on the counter and splinters into a million pieces.

“Fuck!” she shouts again.

When she looks back up, the surprise on her face has been replaced with a smirk.

“Are you touching yourself? While staring at my ass?”

Fuck. Busted.

Suddenly, it’s my face registering shock.

I quickly recover enough to retort, “You’d like that, huh?”

Rolling her eyes, she starts collecting broken pieces of plate. “I don’t know what you’re doing here, but since it’s your fault I dropped this plate in the first place, the least you could do is help me clean it up. There’s a broom in the laundry room over there.” She points towards a closed door. “Grab it and sweep this stuff up.”