Chapter Sixteen
I stare at my phone, watching the blinking purple dot as it moves closer and closer to our location. Now that I know how to use the tracking app, I’m addicted to watching Destiny’s movement.
Clinic, then St. Peter’s Cathedral, then Arnaud’s Confectionary, and then the long drive back to Wild’s.
Why is Weston taking her to those places? Is it another date?
“You okay, man?” Wild asks, looking up from his phone. “You’re pacing and it’s stressing me out.”
I abruptly stop beside the kitchen sink in the RV.
I’m pretty sure I’m the only one who empties the sink.
He makes a mess faster than I can clean it up.
It’s full of dishes, mostly knives from cutting up fruit.
Seeing the knives strewn about so carelessly is unnerving.
I’d like to think Destiny is doing better, but the sharp objects lying around still worry me.
“Ready for her to be home already,” I say with a grunt.
“Now you know how we felt yesterday. At least you can see where she’s at. We had nothing.”
He’s going to guilt me about that shit until the end of time. “I told you I’m sorry.”
“Yeah, yeah. I’m still mad, though.”
I set my phone down on the counter and begin washing up all the dishes to give me something to do. Did Wild use every knife in the kitchen? It distracts me long enough that I don’t even realize Destiny is back until the RV door opens and she steps inside.
Alone.
“Where is he?” I demand in greeting.
Her bright smile falters. “Hello to you too, Rowdy.”
Fuck.
I’m being a dick.
I can’t help it, though. When she’s out of my sight, it fucks with my head.
“Hi. Where’s Weston?”
She winces at my tone, and her skin turns pink. “He dropped me off and left. Had to get back to feed his neighbor’s dogs.”
Scowling, I cross my arms over my chest. “Did he literally drop you off or did he walk you to the door?”
“I walked myself,” she tells me, pride in her tone.
Red clouds my vision. Weston knows it’s getting dark and he sent my sister to make the trek from the car to the RV alone? Is he insane?
“Look.” She flips out an aluminum pole and holds it straight out in front of her. “I got my white cane.”
“Hey, that’s cool,” Wild chimes in. “Now she doesn’t need to hold your hand everywhere.”
I cut my eyes over to him and flay him with a sharp glare. This sends him into a fit of laughter. Destiny frowns, head darting back and forth between us.
“Are you guys laughing at me?” she murmurs.
“Your brother,” Wild supplies and then laughs again. “He’s not happy about your stick, especially when he—”
“Can you go somewhere, please?” I bite out to my friend. “I need a moment alone with my sister.”
He grunts and rises to his feet. “I’ll go bug Mom about dinner. Be nice, Rowdy.”
Why wouldn’t I be nice?
It’s Destiny, for fuck’s sake. I’m always nice to her.
I wait until the RV door shuts before speaking to her again. It gives me a chance to calm down. I’m low-key pissed at Weston for dropping her off so carelessly, but I’m also enamored by her smile. She’s happy.
“Did you kiss him again?” I blurt out.
Fuck.
I steal her grin with my sharp words.
Her pink tongue darts out and she drags it along her lower lip. I know how it feels now since I put my fingers on it last night. She drops her gaze down to the cane in her grip, her thumb rubbing the top of it as though she’s anxious about something.
Probably because of you, idiot.
You’re being a psycho.
“Yes,” she says, lifting her chin. “It was nice.”
Again with that shit.
Why does it make me so angry?
Because you wish it were your mouth on hers instead of his. There would be nothing nice about your kiss.
I tear my gaze from her lips and continue washing the dishes.
She uses her cane to walk past me and sits on the bed in my room.
My cock pulses at the reminder of when she slept in my bed.
It was a far different experience than when Lila slept there.
I didn’t try to fuck Lila. Well, I tried and couldn’t.
With Destiny, I tried but didn’t know it.
I was quite capable of keeping my dick hard with my sister.
Sicko.
“What’s going on with you?” she asks softly. “You’re not acting like yourself.”
Where do I even begin to unpack the answers to that question?
“Gwen thinks you’re possessive.”
This jerks me out of my stupor. I dry my hands off on a towel and then stride over to her.
In one hand, she has her cane, and in the other, she clutches a bag to her chest. From the packaging, it’s from Arnaud’s.
She scoots aside, making room for me to sit.
With a sigh, I plop down next to her, inhaling her usual sweet scent, this time made sweeter from her visit to the candy store.
“Possessive? What does that even mean?”
I know exactly what it means.
“I’m not sure. She says it’s the way you look at me.” She turns, her cloudy blue eyes cast in the general direction of my face. “I told her you’re just protective.”
Or both.
“I’m sorry,” I croak out. “I’m just on edge. Tell me about your day. Please.”
She relaxes at the defeat in my tone and sets her bag beside her. Then, all too happily, she tells me each and every detail. The most awkward part is about how her new friend Claudia wants to hook up with me. “What about you?” she then asks. “How was your day? I’m guessing not so good.”
Unable to keep from touching her, I move my thigh until it’s pressed against hers. Fiery heat burns through my jeans at the connection. She doesn’t move away, much to my twisted delight.
“I went to breakfast with Uncle Atticus. Ran into Evan and his boyfriend.”
She jolts at my words. “What? Are you okay?”
Her hand reaches out for mine, fumbling over my thigh as she seeks it out. I watch, aching for her to move it over a different part of me that throbs for attention, but then come to my senses, snatching her hand before she actually touches my dick.
“I’m fine, I guess.” I sigh heavily, shuddering at having been so close to him today. “He wants me to work out with him and Alex.”
“No,” Destiny says firmly. “Absolutely not.”
“Uncle Atticus said—”
“No, Rowdy. Evan hurt you. If Uncle Atticus is encouraging you to hang out with him, it’s because he has no clue what that man did to you. You can’t do that. I forbid you.”
Her eyebrows are pinched together angrily and her lips are pressed into an unhappy line. She’s cute. Who’s the protective one now?
“I don’t plan on it,” I assure her. “Just had to pacify Wild’s dad.” Then, because I shouldn’t, I tell her about what happened. “We exchanged numbers.”
She jolts and shakes her head. “Why would you do that? Delete and block him.”
I barely know how to text, much less do all that other complicated shit. If I don’t want to talk to him, I’ll just ignore it. “Sure. I’ll get around to it.”
“I’m serious. I don’t trust him and neither should you.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She smirks at me. “I guess it’s not just you. I’m the same way. Gwen was overreacting. It must be a Jamison thing. We are what we are.”
Stubborn. Pigheaded. Quick-tempered. Bossy. All of the above.
“Can I take your picture?” I ask, words tumbling out of my mouth before I can stop them.
“Okay, but why?”
Because I want to stare at you all damn night with my dick in my hand…
“Just to have.”
“We could take one together,” she suggests.
“I’m good with that. Too bad I don’t know how to do it.”
“Pay attention and learn,” she sasses, pulling her phone out of her pocket. “Access camera.”
The phone comes to life, obeying her command. I’m amazed as she speaks back and forth with the digitized voice, learning how to navigate using the camera. Then she holds it away from us. I stare at her as she confidently tells it what to do next.
“Smile,” she says to me before instructing the phone to snap the picture. “Send photo to Rowdy.”
Seconds later, my phone buzzes in my pocket. When I pull it out, I have a text message from Destiny. I swipe it open and click on the picture of us.
Her smile is beautiful and she seems brighter than usual. Beside her, staring at her and not the camera, is me. Intense, focused solely on her, and ravenous. I may as well be drooling. I’m thankful the picture didn’t capture the erection straining in my jeans.
What the fuck is wrong with me?
“Weston is a good guy,” she tells me, killing my hard-on. “I know you hate him for whatever reason, but he’s nice. He goes out of his way to do sweet things for me. If you’re worried about him hurting me like Jace did, you don’t have to. Weston would never. Plus, he’s big on consent.”
It brings me a modicum of relief to know he’s not desperately trying to get into her pants.
“You’re thriving here. I love that for you.” I reach up and stroke my fingers through her chaotic blond hair. “I’ll get my shit together soon. Just trying to get used to this life, you know?”
She leans toward me and tilts her head up, making her sweet, tempting mouth too close for comfort. “Thank you. For being here with me. You had every right to stay home, but you didn’t. You’re facing your awful past to be here with me. It means the world to me, Rowdy. You’re my favorite brother.”
I tangle my fingers in her hair and give it a sharp, playful tug. “I better be.”
With her lips parted and head rolled back, it’s deceptive to my confusing emotions. I can almost pretend she’s more than my sister. She’s just some girl I’m crazy over. How fucking wonderful would it be to devour her sexy mouth?
We both grow quiet and I realize I’m staring at her, just inches from her face. My tight grip on her hair holds her captive. My heart is hammering out of my chest and her breaths come out in sharp pants.
What if she feels the fire I feel?
Would she act on it?
I loosen my grip on her hair and caress her scalp with my fingertips. I’m trying to convince myself to fully let go of her, but I can’t. I just fucking can’t.
“Rowdy…”
My name on her lips is a siren’s call. It’s seductive and teasing. I’m drunk off it. I can’t fucking think straight.
“Mmm?”
Her eyes flutter closed and I swear she pushes closer to me as if she’s offering herself as a sacrifice to a god. I’m no god, though. I’m swimming in something dark and deep and awful. It makes me want to grab her by her pretty blond head and drag her under with me.
Then what?
We’ll both drown in this…thing. This fucking crazy feeling. I can’t let that happen. Destiny is too good and pure for the depravities dancing in my mind.
She licks her lips and a small mewl escapes her. My cock is throbbing painfully at this point.
What if I just kiss her and see?
Don’t. Fucking. Do. It.
I kind of think she wants me to.
Keep telling yourself that, asshole.
I’m seconds from ignoring the sensible part of my mind and taking what I really want.
Her.
But then a sound rescues our teetering on the abyss.
Woof.
And then again.
Woof. Woof. Woof.
Destiny snaps out of the mesmerizing daze we both seemed to be transfixed in and grins. “You hear that? It’s a dog!”
She breaks from my grip, snatches her cane, and moves down the RV hallway with alarming speed.
I’ll catch up in a sec.
Just as soon as my cock calms the fuck down.