The boner in his pants was anything but friendly, but sure, I could keep things platonic. Besides, Drake was right to stop before anything happened.
He tapped a button on the remote, and the screen roared to life. “I’m thinkingThe Dark Knightunless you have something else in mind.”
I laughed. “Batman. Of course. Like I’d expect anything else.”
He tapped another button. The lights dimmed, plunging the room into near darkness. As the movie played, my eyelids fluttered. Overtaken by exhaustion, I yawned and laid my head on Drake’s lap.
He curled his arm around me. “Get some sleep, Liv. Your brother will kill me if your grades slip because you’re staying up late with me.”
I fell asleep to Batman on my screen that night, but the real hero in my story was beside me. Every night after that, we followed the same routine. Movie nights, Sunday dinners, bowling tournaments at his cousin’s house, and late-night swims in his infinity pool.
We did everything together.
Our friendship blossomed into something beautiful. Because of Drake, I had a home and a family. He was my best friendand soulmate. But I would never have him, not with my brother telling him to stay away from me.
Not until I turned eighteen.
CHAPTER 11
OLIVIA
For my eighteenth birthday, Tate was finally home on leave from the Marine Corps. We hadn’t spoken in weeks until he called a few hours ago to let us know he was back on U.S. soil.
Sometimes, my brother would call me on Sundays. The weeks when I didn’t hear a word were the worst.
I imagined him dead.
Captured by a terrorist.
Dozens of scenarios raced through my mind with him living on the other side of the world. I knew we would have little to no contact unless something were wrong with Tate. But the waiting around and not knowing how he was doing nearly killed me.
Drake kept me occupied.
We still had our nightly ritual of watching movies and television shows together. He helped me with my homework whenever I got stuck and even let me crash on his couch in the Battle Cave.
Today, I was legal.
No longer his ward.
He had no reason to say no.
I waited out front of the house with Drake, smiling like an idiot as my brother’s limo pulled into the driveway. He flung open the door before the driver could round the car.
The man who emerged from the car was not my brother. Tall and handsome, he stood with his head held high, dripping with confidence, and dressed in jeans and a black T-shirt. He’d gained at least twenty pounds of muscle and filled out his shirt, which looked as if it were bursting at the seams.
“Who are you and what did you do with my brother?”
I flung myself into his arms, and Tate lifted me, but he didn’t seem to notice my weight gain or struggle with it. We were both healthy and alive, something that seemed nearly impossible until we met Drake.
“Happy birthday, Liv.” Tate kissed my cheek, squeezing the life out of me. “Damn, I missed you.”
“I missed you, too, big bro. This place hasn’t been the same without you.”
He set my feet on the ground and then hugged Drake. “You’d better have taken good care of my sister, Battle.”
“Better than good,” I said before Drake could respond. “He spoils me rotten.”
“Wait until you see your birthday present,” Drake said.
