Page 22

Bradley

P uffy clouds are painted pastel pink and peach on calming pale blue skies with muted lilac streaks. The sun is gone from sight, leaving behind a masterpiece before darkness slots in. We sit on the bikes, eat ice cream next to the boardwalk, and stare at the stagnant ocean.

“This is perfect,” Amber leans on the fuel tank and licks her vanilla ice cream while we wait for her to finish, “I missed this view.”

“So did I,” my eyes go down Ronnie’s length, “Scream,” I shout at him.

“What?” he looks over his shoulder at us wrinkling his nose.

“Scream, fuck cancer.”

Returning to stare at the ocean again, he says, “I can’t.”

“You can.”

A loud “FUUUUUCK!” pierces my ears and I glance at Amber—mouth hanging open, eyebrows raised as surprise washes all over me.

“Atta girl!” I slap her ass and she giggles in return, flashing a little.

So damn cute.

We both turn when Ronnie screams “FUCK CANCER!”

“FUUUUUCK!” My voice comes out hoarse at the end.

A few people turn to look but quickly move along when they realize there’s nothing here to see. Yeah, we’re three idiots who can scream.

“Heads up, I’m climbing behind you,” Ronnie advances toward me.

I eagerly look over to him when it suddenly dawns on me. “Wait, is this the part where you teach me how to ride a motorcycle?” I tap on the fuel tank. “I knew you’d try a Matthew McConaughey move on me.”

“Shut up.” He rolls his eyes, blushing, and a cute sheepish grin decorates his face.

“Why don’t you shut me up?” I turn backward, returning to straddle the bike before he climbs on it too.

His eyes cast a storm that draws me in like turbulence. “You’re impossible.” His voice is soft. Desperate.

My hands slide slowly up his thighs, “Debatable.”

“Predictable.”

“Now, you’re just trying to offend me.” I fire back but don’t lose that eye contact, not even for a second. I’m sucked in and I don’t want him to spit me out. “If you don’t kiss me right now, I’m tossing you to the wolves.”

His brows pull in confusion, “You mean your brothers?”

“Yes.”

“They like me.” His face hovers over mine, and his hair falls onto it.

“Predictably.”

“Stop flattering me.” That wicked grin pops.

I nibble on my lip before I say, “Never.”

“Kiss already,” Amber declares, “Or I’m pushing you both onto the dirt.”

I feel like we waited and waited until he was ready and now that he is, we waited for Amber’s permission, sort of. She always supported our connection and deciphered the hints from day one. We wanted her to feel comfortable and not left out based on the time we knew each other.

His lips suddenly clash with mine. Softly. Forcefully. Passionately. Yanking me out of my thoughts and my body’s temperature increases instantly.

Tongue urging me to open my mouth and he dives in. My hand rounds his neck, deepening the kiss.

“Mmm,” I hum into his mouth.

I feel like I’m spinning but I’m centered. Our tongues fight for dominance and I lose it to him because that’s all I wanted to do. I will give him anything he wants, however, he wants it just to be sucked into this vortex with them.

Gasping for air, our lips brush, tease, suck, and claim. I bite him and he bites me, leaving no spot untouched.

I’ve waited so long to feel this. Him.

“You talk too much.” His warm breath caresses my swollen lips.

A delicate chuckle slips from me.

I search between his eyes for any sign of regret but there isn’t any.

“I hate it when you do that.”

“Do what?” My stomach twists.

“Making it easy to fall in love with you.”

My throat bobs.

He leans to the side, grabs Amber’s ass, and squeezes it once. “Perfection.”

Peering at us with fire in her eyes, “Guys we should go, Josh’s birthday dinner will start soon,” she reminds us as my brother’s bike roars to life.

“This bike looks good on you.” I smack my lips together. “Why don’t you ride it and we’ll ride together.”

“Suits me.” She agrees with a wide grin before she puts on her helmet. “You two are so adorable, I can’t wait to have you all to myself.”

Me neither.

“Maybe take me on top of a bike.” She shouts and backs out of her spot.

What a nice suggestion.

Once we’re situated, we hit the road. Ronnie’s hands fastened around my stomach, warming my back all the way home.

“Stop goofing around,” I try to pull his hand away when he opens and closes my visor. “I need to get you home safe and watch Amber.”

“We’re already here,” he twists my nipple and squeezes my cock. “That was fun, we should do it more often.”

I groan. “May I remind you? I offered plenty of times.”

“Don’t pout under the helmet,” he plays with my chest, “If you want me to…” he gives my cock another tight squeeze.

As we pull onto our driveway, my brother’s back disappears into the next street as I pull my helmet off. Where is he sneaking off to before dinner?

“I need to pee, see you guys inside,” Amber skips inside the house.

I start running after my brother, the streetlights turn on as darkness descends.

“Where are you going?” Ronnie shouts behind me.

“Come with me.”

We bypass our block onto the next, passing a line of trees.

“You speed like an athlete in a marathon.” Ronnie gasps.

“My dad always said I was the fastest that’s why he sent me on so many errands when I was a teen.” Heaving, I push forward until I’m face to face with the Turner’s house.

“My lungs scream for air,” he sucks in chunks of air, catching his breath behind a bush, “Where are we?”

I scan the area, making sure Amber’s parents aren’t outside. “Take a look around. It’s the Turner’s house.”

We peer up as my brother climbs to a window, using the wooden awning as leverage.

“You’re all crazy.”

“Apparently.” I nod. “We have to tell Amber.”

“Tell Amber what?” her voice startles us both.

“Shit, Amber!” I whisper-shout, “You scared the crap out of me.”

“I saw Ronnie running so I followed.”

“You pee faster than I can run.” Ronnie chuckles. “In my defense, I always hated running.”

“You were pretty good at running when we played football,” I mark.

“It’s either because it was a game, or because I didn’t have to run that far.” His eyes zoom in on my brother. “I saw his shoes the day we were here but didn’t know he was your brother.”

“But you know I got him those shoes,” I glance at Ronnie, eyebrows screwing together.

“Do you know how many kids wear them?”

“Here we go again,” Amber murmurs.

I raise my hands to the sides, “How many seventeen years old wear them?”

“You’d be surprised.” His eyes roam over my body, swiping his tongue across his teeth.

“Stop distracting me.”

He smirks.

“Ugh, kiss him again,” Amber encourages, “I’m bleeding because the tension here cuts like a knife.”

“I can pin you both to the wall and kiss the shit out of you two.”

They glance at each other, “Do it.”

“We’ve got an important matter first.” I follow Amber’s eyes as they narrow.

“Is that your brother?”

“Yup!”

“He was the one sneaking out…”

“You saw him too?” I lift my hands above my head. “Why did no one tell me?”

“I tortured Kat with tickles and she didn’t tell me.” She shrugs her shoulder and steps forward. “My dad has already gone to help Tiffany but my mom is still at home.”

“C’mon, live a little.” I cross the street and sneak into their yard.

“Be careful,” Ronnie says as I climb the outer side of the house, clutching onto the same awning my brother used to reach Kat’s room. “Fucking awning.” I gasp and push myself up. “Come on.” My muscles work extra hard as I pull myself upward. He must like her a lot. This is no joke. I gasp and whimper with the last push.

“I’m good.” I knock on the window. Once. Twice. Three times just to annoy the prick.

A silhouette gradually inches closer and draws the curtain aside before he yanks the window up. “What are you doing here?” Ryan whisper-shouts and crouches down.

“I saw you sneaking out,” I grin like an annoying big brother.

“And you followed me.” His scornful tone makes my eyebrows hike up.

“Yes.”

“What do you want?” He frowns, pinching my nose.

I do the same to him, “What are you doing?”

“What. Do. You. Think?” His upper lip curves into a snarl.

“Are you using protection?”

His gaze falls, “It’s not like that.”

“You’re not reading her bedtime stories so don’t bullshit me.”

“Well…”

My eyes slide to Kat who waves a book in her hand.

Oh.

“He’s reading her bedtime stories.” I fill them in, glancing down.

“Not bedtime stories, she likes books and my voice so I read them to her.” Ryan clarifies.

“Omg, you’re so sweet it’s sickening. But you’re still going to do it.”

“I hope.”

I lift my eyebrows.

“I will use protection. Josh is already preaching to me about it nonstop.”

“He’s a good brother, you should thank him. How long have you been sneaking out like this?”

“Since you left. Kat is in my class and she’s friends with Josh. I joined them once when they hung out and we bonded. But I think she also likes Josh.” The corner of his mouth twitches as he shrugs. “It’s just that she’s a minor and he’s two years older but when he was in school they were together all the time.” The hint of disappointment in his voice breaks my heart a little.

“Maybe she’s just known him longer,” I whisper.

“Come on Ronnie, help me up.” Amber’s voice cuts our conversation.

“Do you think my head is made of stone?”

Shooting her leg up, I catch Amber and yank her above the wooden awning.

“If my mother catches us, it’s game over prepare for war.” She settles next to me and I round my hand over her waist. “It’s been a while since I’ve been up here.” Her neck cranks up toward the skies.

“Ryan, I heard you have doubts but let me tell you this, my sister likes you so much that she refused to give you away and risked our mom finding out about you.”

“Your dad is awesome, but your mom is a little stressed.” Ryan nods with a small hopeful grin.

“She always talked about Josh like a brother but I never saw him here because it was easier to sneak out and meet her friends at the park or something.”

I trace every visible part of her as she reassures my brother. Warmth spreads across my hand where our contact starts. She has so many mixed feelings about this house that I cannot even begin to imagine what it was like to leave here as a kid. My house was loud, filled with laughter, and parents who spent most of their time with their kids because they wanted to be involved as much as they could. But two blocks away lived a girl who ran here and gazed at the stars because she couldn’t walk inside a house she called home.

It finally strikes me how big of an impact it had on her so I round my hand around her belly, tuck her closer to me, and kiss the top of her head.

Their conversation ends and Ryan goes inside to bring her something.

“I’m sorry.” I press my chin to her shoulder. “Kat has Josh to lean on. I know I’m two years younger than you but I could have been your crutch.” My voice slowly breaks.

“It’s not your fault, Bradley, you couldn’t have known. And we met when the time was right.“ She leans back against me.

Ryan comes back with a keychain the shape of a star in his hand. “I got two of these. One for you and one for Kat. I was going to give it to you before you left but I think you should have it now.” He hands it to her. “Kat said you put the stars on her ceiling and when she gazes at the skies, she thinks about the brightest star.”

“What brightest star?” Amber lowers her voice and pulls her eyebrows slightly.

“Stop gossiping about me,” Kat pushes to stand, “I’m going to sneak a glance outside the door to make sure mom isn’t around.”

“Okay,” Ryan answers her before he turns back to Amber. “ You are her brightest star.”

Of course, she is.

Amber clutches the keychain tightly and smiles. “Thanks, Ryan, it means a lot.”

“Sure. I knew who you were before you even came because of Kat. You are her favorite person.”

She quivers in my arms but doesn’t say a word about it to Ryan.

“I’ll leave you to your… session. Nice shoes by the way.” I fast forward our conversation, knowing she waits for the chance to cry.

“Oh yeah, some psycho gave them to me.” A condescending look encounters me. “See you at dinner, psycho.” He shakes his head, undeniably amused by this, and shuts the window.

With a streak of tears in her eyes, a silent sob breaks.

“Hey, I got you.” I cover her as a cool breeze makes her shiver. Ronnie climbs to us in seconds, hoisting himself and linking his legs together above the awning and I reach out to pull him.

He can’t run but he sure as hell can climb.

“We won’t let anyone hurt you anymore,” he says, scooting closer to us.

Damn right, we won’t.