10. Connor
Ten
Connor
One month later.
The driveway of the Easton house was packed, each one of my brother’s cars jammed in. Emma sat beside me, fiddling with the hem of her pink sundress, glancing up at the white house with navy shutters that had seen its fair share of chaos. Between the five of us, something was always broken, and a different sibling was getting blamed for it each time.
I leaned over and kissed Emma’s temple. “You okay?”
“I’m fine.” She gave a quick, breathy laugh. “Just mentally preparing to meet the entire boy band of brothers you warned me about.”
I chuckled. “Tyler’s the golden retriever. Sean’s the goofball always taking care of everyone. Nick will pretend he doesn’t care, but he’ll make you coffee without asking how you take it because he secretly already knew by paying attention. Ben will be cocky and remind us every chance he gets that he plays college hockey.”
“And your mom and dad?”
“Mom is the queen of the house. Will probably love you within five seconds. Might ask if we’re having kids by the end of the night. Dad will tell jokes and pick on you. But he means it with love.”
Emma snorted. “I’m not ready to be asked about babies while I’m still figuring out how to leave an extra toothbrush at your place.”
I grabbed her hand and laced our fingers together. “You already live there three days a week.”
“Details.”
As we climbed out and walked toward the door, the faint sound of laughter and clinking dishes drifted out onto the porch. I didn’t even knock, just pushed the door open like I still lived there, which, in a way, I did. This would always be my house.
“Connor!” A sweet, calming voice called, followed by small footsteps. Ava, Tyler’s girlfriend, came walking out of the kitchen and wrapped her tiny arms around me in a hug. “Jesus, it’s been forever.”
I met Ava the same night I met Emma. How everything has changed so much since then. Ava barely said three sentences to me. Later, I learned that her dad was a piece of shit and it takes her a while to trust. But through time and a lot of dinners, I think I became her favorite brother.
“It’s been two weeks,” I laughed.
“Forever in brother-sister years.” Yes, she considered us all family. Never having a sibling to pick on, or even one to protect her, I think she kind of latched on to us. Giving her a safe place to heal.
Ava turned to Emma, all bubbly and smiling. “And this must be the girl who’s got Connor all soft around the edges.”
“Emma,” she offered, surprised when Ava pulled her into a hug too.
“Welcome to the asylum.”
From the dining room, my mom waved with flour-covered hands. “Make yourself at home, sweetie. Dinner’s almost ready.”
Introductions flew by in a blur of handshakes, one-armed hugs, sarcastic remarks, and Ben bragging about how he plays hockey to Emma. Just like I knew he would. We all sat around the long oak table, now filled with notches from our years of eating at the same table. Bowls of roasted potatoes and grilled chicken passed like treasure.
But I had to admit, something was off with Sean. He wasn’t making as many jokes tonight. He was quieter than usual, picking at his food, lost in thought.
“You good?” I asked, nudging him once the rest of the table was distracted in a debate over who was most likely to burn the house down. Which, by the way, would be Ben.
Sean blinked, like he hadn’t realized he’d zoned out. “Yeah. Just tired.”
I frowned but let it go for now. It’s kind of funny. A couple of months ago I never would have been the one asking if he was okay. It would have been Tyler. Hell, even talking more than normal has surprised everyone at the table, and each time I open my mouth, someone looks at Emma like she was the answer all along.
Even though Emma had only been around him for a couple of minutes, it seemed like she noticed too, her eyes darting toward him with quiet curiosity. Especially since I said he was the family clown and to expect him to have her laughing the whole night. Yet he hasn’t told a joke yet.
Tyler, across the table, was less subtle. “You sure, man? You’ve been weird for a while.”
Sean sighed. “There’s a patient.”
Everyone quieted a little. Serious talk was allowed at Sunday dinner, but it always came with a side of uncomfortable silence.
“She came in after a car crash,” Sean continued, rubbing the back of his neck. “Bad one. Drunk driver t-boned her. She’s been in the hospital ever since.”
“Wait, the girl they brought in when we were there?” I asked.
“Yep,” he nodded.
Nick, who rarely said much at family dinners, looked up then, his jaw tight. “Was he okay?”
“The driver?” Sean shook his head. “Died minutes after getting to the hospital.”
Something thick settled over the table. Nick pushed back in his chair slightly, hands gripping his thighs under the table.
“Sorry,” Sean muttered. “Didn’t mean to-”
“It’s not your fault,” Nick cut in, his voice tight. “Still just… hits too close sometimes.”
Tyler and I exchanged a look. One we hadn’t shared in years, but it still translated. Remember when we almost lost him? Yeah. Me too.
Emma leaned closer to me, whispering, “Nick was the one who used to drink, right?”
“Yeah,” I whispered back, “he got clean a couple years ago. But we all remember.”
Sean cleared his throat, trying to shake off the tension. “Anyway, she’s… She’s still unconscious but stable now. I just… I don’t know.”
“You’ve been visiting her room,” Tyler smirked. “Haven’t you?”
Sean narrowed his eyes. “I check on all my patients.”
“Is she the patient you told me that you brought a book for?”
“She looked like she liked to read.”
“Dude, she is unconscious. ”
The entire table cracked up, and even Nick managed a quiet chuckle. Emma couldn’t stop smiling. We were insane, but we were good. This kind of love, the unconditional, poke-fun-at-you-because-we-care love, was rare.
I leaned back toward Sean. “Seriously though… you okay?”
Sean stared down at his plate. “I don’t know. It just… it feels different. I know I shouldn’t care. It’s not professional. But she’s young. Not much older than Emma. And something about it… I don’t know.”
“You’ve always had a soft spot,” I offered, trying to sound teasing, but his pain was clear.
“She reminds me that life can shift in a second,” Sean muttered. “And I can’t fix it.”
“None of us can,” Tyler added, reaching for the potatoes. “But it doesn’t mean we stop trying.”
I squeezed Emma’s hand under the table. She looked over at him, silently asking if he was okay too.
He nodded, and all of us dropped it, not wanting to bring down dinner more than we already had.
* * *
Later, while the family fell into a rhythm of beer, laughter, and board games, I found myself out on the porch with Tyler and Sean, watching the sky fade into red and purple. Ava and Emma got along just as much as I knew they would, and seeing them together had stirred something inside me. Seeing the way she handled my family and accepted all of us. Loud, chaotic, but loving. And she fit right in.
“Thanks for being here,” Sean said quietly, then grinned. “And for distracting Mom from asking me why I’m still single.”
“I got you.” I smirked.
Tyler sipped his beer. “Emma’s good for you.”
“I know.”
“You told her about Clair?”
“I did.” I looked down at my feet. “I even let her read the letter.”
Both brothers were silent, letting that truth settle.
Sean clapped me on the shoulder. “Proud of you, man.”
I nodded. “I never knew how tired I was from running.”
“And now you’re not,” Tyler said. “You’re right where you’re supposed to be.”
* * *
The soft hum of the tires against the pavement filled the silence between us, broken only by the occasional flick of the turn signal. I had one hand on the wheel, the other laced with Emma’s on the middle console. Streetlights passed in glowing streaks across her face, making her look both unreadable and exhausted.
Emma leaned her head against the window, watching the world blur past, her fingers tightening just slightly around mine.
“You’re quiet,” I murmured. “Is that a good quiet or a ‘why the hell did I sign up for this family’ quiet? Or a ‘my blood sugar is low and I didn’t tell you’ quiet?”
She smiled, followed by a small giggle. “I don’t know. A mix, maybe. My blood sugar is okay, though.”
I let out a low chuckle. Relief at her blood sugar. “Yeah. I get that.”
“It was a lot,” she sighed. “Not bad, just… different. I had Jake, but that was it. It was good to see what a normal family is.”
“That house holds a lot of memories. Good ones, sure, but… heavy ones, too. Between Tyler having cancer and Nick and his addiction. Sean and… whatever this is.”
Emma glanced at me. “You think he’s okay?”
“I think he’s falling for someone he’s not allowed to fall for, and she’s barely clinging to life in a hospital bed.” I sighed, shifting gears as I exited the highway. “And yeah, that’s hitting all of us a little too close to home.”
My thumb rubbed slow, steady circles on the back of her hand. Thankful she was here, she was real, and she wanted to be here with me.
* * *
The door slammed shut behind us with a click. She bent over to remove her shoes, but I barely gave her time to breathe before my hand was in her hair, tugging just enough to tilt her head back and claim her lips. Watching her all night in this sundress. The way it flared and showed off every fucking curve of her. Her breasts teased me all night, knowing all it would take is one push, and they would be out.
My tongue swept against hers. Pulling away, I peppered kisses down her jaw, her neck, her ear, and her collarbone. Every part of her was mine, and she needed to know that. She moaned into my mouth, pressing her body against mine.
“I’ve been dying to touch you all night,” I growled, my hand sliding down her back, grabbing her ass, and pulling her hard against my growing cock.
“Then don’t be gentle,” she taunted. “I don’t want you to be gentle. Not now, not ever. I don’t want you to make love to me. I want you to remind me why I call you Daddy.”
“Get your ass in the bedroom. Now.”
Her legs trembled as she backed up toward the room, tracking every movement. The second she passed the threshold, I was on her again, pushing her against the wall and ripping her sundress off. “You know what I think about when I watch you across a room?” I asked, pressing my forehead to hers. “How fucking good you look on your knees. How wet you get when I tell you you’re mine.”
She whimpered, her thighs clenching together.
“Say it.” I commanded. She knew what I needed to hear, demanded to hear.
“I’m yours,” she gasped.
“Damn right you are.” I dropped to my knees, yanking her panties down in one motion. Hooking her thigh over my shoulder, not even waiting before burying my face between her legs and finding her wet and needy for me. She gripped my hair with a gasp, hips bucking against my mouth. My grip bruised her hips while I licked her clit like I needed her to fall apart just to put her back together.
“Fuck, Connor,” she sobbed, already on the edge. “Please…”
I pulled away, my lips covered in her wetness. “You don’t cum yet,” I barked, my voice low and threatening. “Get on the bed. Hands and knees.” She knew better than to call me anything other than Daddy in the bedroom.
She listened instantly, her breath coming in sharp pants as she crawled onto the mattress. I undressed slowly behind her, letting her hear the zipper and the soft thud of my belt hitting the floor. The bed dipped as I got behind her, reaching out to grip her hip.
“You trust me?”
“Yes,” she breathed.
“Then take everything I give you.”
I slammed into her in one thrust, and she cried out, her hands clutching the sheets. I set a brutal pace, one hand tangled in her hair, the other sliding up her spine as I fucked her like I was trying to erase every doubt she had ever felt.
“You think I’ll get tired of you?” I grunted in her ear, thrusting harder. “Never. You hear me?”
“Yes, fuck yes, Connor-” I cut her off with my hand smacking her ass, watching as it instantly left a handprint.
“I was nice the first time you forgot. You don’t fucking call me Connor in the bedroom.”
“Daddy, I’m sorry.”
Using her hair, I pulled her face to mine, sucking her lip into my mouth. I bit it and let it pop out of my mouth. “Come for me,” I growled. “Right now. I want to feel you squeeze my cock.” Just like that, she shattered, a sobbing mess as her body trembled, the orgasm tearing through her. But I couldn’t stop. I need more .
I stayed deep inside her, thrusting inside her, my breath ragged against her skin. She melted into the bed, a mumbling, sobbing mess, just the way I liked her. “You think that was it?” I whispered. “You think I’m done with you?”
Emma’s body quivered. She loved it when I talked to her this way. “I… Daddy…”
I withdrew slowly, making sure she could feel every inch, then slammed back in hard enough to make her yelp. She cried out, a strangled sound that made me lose control. I slid one hand down to wrap around her throat, not tight, just enough to hold her steady while I ruined her all over again.
“Color?” I asked.
“Green!”
“Good fucking girl.”
“Harder,” she rasped.
“I don’t want to be gentle tonight,” I growled. “I don’t want to pretend like I’m not addicted to the way you fall apart for me. How you beg. How fucking wet you get when I tell you you’re mine.”
Emma whimpered, the words hitting harder than the pace I was drilling into her with.
“I am yours,” she choked out. “All of me, Daddy. Just don’t stop.”
“Say it again.” I commanded.
“I’m yours.”
“That’s right.” My voice was a low rumble, dark and possessive. “You’re mine. And I’m going to make sure you feel it tomorrow with every step you take.” I pulled out again, just enough to flip her onto her back like she weighed nothing, climbing over her and slamming back into her with a groan. Her legs wrapped around my waist instantly, pulling me deeper, her fingers clawing at my back. Her nails dragged down my spine as I thrust into her again and again, each movement more unhinged, more primal than the last. She watched me, eyes locked to my face, her jaw clenched, sweat beading at her temple, lips parted as she panted my name like a prayer.
“Daddy… please… I’m gonna-”
“No,” I snapped. “Not yet. You hold it. You fucking wait for me.”
My hand dropped between us, rubbing tight circles against her clit, and her whole body seized under me. She cried out again, but every time I felt her tightening, I stopped, pushing her to the brink and keeping her there.
“Please, I need it,” she cried.
“Now,” I ordered. “Give it to me.” Rubbing her clit faster, I thrust as deep as I could into her. Her sweet little pussy exploded, squeezing the life out of my cock, her body convulsing under mine. I cussed loudly, hips jerking as I came with her. Moaning her name and knowing right then and there I was always going to worship her body.
I collapsed on top of her for a moment as we both caught our breaths, my face pressed into her neck.
The only sound was the shared rhythm of our breath and the occasional shaky exhale as we came down. I finally pulled back just enough to see her face. Brushing the damp hair from her forehead, I kissed her temple and wrapped her up in my arms. I came to learn that Emma loved it rough, but she loved to be babied after. Taken care of, whispers of sweet nothings, and someone to hold her while she came down and joined the real world again. “I meant every word,” I mumbled in the dark room. “I’m not just here for the sex. I’m not just here for tonight.”
She blinked up at me, a ghost of a smile on her now-swollen lips.
“I know,” she whispered. “And that’s why I’m still here.”
I smiled, kissing her again, slowly this time, pouring everything I wanted to tell her into that one simple kiss. “Then maybe we can stop pretending we’re afraid of what this is.” I cocked my head, slowly rubbing her jaw with my finger.
Emma reached up, cupping my cheek. “No more pretending.”
* * *
After helping Emma take a shower and cleaning ourselves up, I heated up my mom’s leftovers and made sure she had plenty of water.
While the food was heating up, I checked her Dexcom to ensure her sugar was okay.
That she was okay.
I think I worry more about it than she does.
Every day I send her lunch to her office, making sure she’s eating, drinking water, and resting when she’s extra tired.
It didn’t take long for me to convince her to add the app on my phone so I could also watch and be alerted.
The second I even think there’s a drop, I’m calling her and dropping everything to rush and be by her side.
She calls me paranoid, but she didn’t see the way her face completely paled the night of our first date, the way her body went limp, and I saw all the light fade from her eyes.
I never wanted to see that again.
Thankfully, Jake and I get along now, and he knows I’m good for his sister.
He knows I’m taking care of her, and I think it helped their relationship as well.
He acts more like a brother to her, not as overbearing or demanding.
She’s happier… smiling all the time.
For the first time, I think she feels safe enough to express what she needs without feeling like she’s not independent.
Maybe Clair was right all along. I was just too stubborn to see it. Losing her was not my fault, and it was okay to be happy with someone else. I wasn’t erasing her and I never would be… I’m just me now. The person I used to be, only now I can love Emma loudly and boldly. Even though I hadn’t told her, I knew she felt it, and she knew I did. Lying back in bed, I pulled her closer and kissed her temple. “I’m not letting you go.”
“Good. Because I’m not going anywhere.” She smiled, eyes fluttering shut.
“You scare the shit out of me, you know that?” I admitted.
“Why?”
“Because for the first time since Clair… I actually want forever.”
She didn’t say anything right away. She didn’t have to. She just turned her face into my chest, her lips pressing against my skin like a promise. We lay there in the quiet, both of us thinking how differently everything would have gone if I would have let the old me win.
It wasn’t perfect. It wasn’t easy. But it was real . And for the first time in a long time, I didn’t feel Clair’s ghost. I didn’t feel blame or guilt. I just felt at home.