“But I’m hungry,” I whine.
“Take it with you.” He grabs the bowl, and pulls me from my seat, though I try to protest as he drags me to the bedroom where Brynn is already sitting on the bed with her hands over her ears.
I want to ask where Brent is because he always helps us, and he isn’t mean about it. I think he’s at practice; he’s been doing that a lot lately. Hockey has become his life, and we don’t matter as much anymore. Bryson slams the door after pushing my bowl into my hand and I struggle to hold onto it. I want to go out there and scream at all of them, especially when I see Brynn press her hands harder against her ears and the single tear that rolls down her cheek.
With a sigh, I climb onto the bed next to my sister, and share my cereal with her while I hug her against me.
“I just want them to stop,” she cries.
The yelling is getting worse and I hear something crash, so I hold Brynn even tighter.
“Me too,” I say quietly. Probably too quiet for her to hear, but I’m sure she knows. We all want it to stop. We all want to just be normal, but that’s not the world for the Collee kids. We were born to struggle.
The pounding on my door pulls me out of the memory, and makes my heart race. My fight or flight reflexes kick in while I try to bring myself back to the present. Where I’m safe and no one knows where I am to find me. Not that they would even care to.
There’s another harsh knock. I furrow my brow, turning toward the front door and opening it where I’m greeted with a sight I did not expect.
Wes stands there, tall, imposing, and intimidating with that permanent scowl on his face while he looks at me like I’ve pissed him off already when I’ve hardly done anything. The way he’s glaring at me immediately has me on guard. Especially when he pushes past me without a single word.
“What the fuck? I did not say you could come in,” I snap.
“I’m not a vampire that needs to be invited in.”
“You are breaking and entering, though. Get out.”
“Angel, you don’t make the rules here. Until you say the word, you’re agreeing to my terms and to my rules.”
I clench my jaw, wanting to argue, but the hum between my thighs at his harsh tone has me questioning several things aboutmyself at this moment. Just like every other time we’re together apparently and my body responds in ways it shouldn’t.
I get a whiff of a scent that has my nose scrunching. “You smell like a horse farm.”
“Probably because I did some work at one earlier.”
“Didn’t take you for a cowboy.”
“I’m not one.”
“Great, well you smell. Leave.”
Wes looks around, and then smirks. “You have a shower.”
“And you’re not welcome in it.”
He steps toward me, and I narrow my eyes at him even more, but don’t step back.
“You don’t make the rules. You can join me, or you can wait for me to be done. Up to you.” He walks past me, further into my house. I know he knows where the bathroom is because his house is the same floor plan as mine from what I can tell online. Not that I’ve looked, of course.
Part of me doesn’t think he’s actually going to do it. But when I hear his heavy steps on my stairs followed by the sound of the water turning on in my bathroom I realize he really means it.
Somehow, I find myself following in his footsteps. It’s like I’m in a trance as I reach the top of the stairs, and move toward the bathroom. The door is wide open, and I’m standing in the doorframe as Wes reaches behind his neck and pulls his shirt over hishead revealing his toned back. The way his muscles move as he goes to undo his pants. I can’t look away.
His back is facing me, but I know he can tell I’m here. Neither of us say anything as the water pelts against the tiles of my shower, and my neighbor strips completely in front of me.
I’m frozen, but can’t look away. Definitely not when he pushes his jeans down. I follow his hands with my eyes. They catch on the long line of marred skin on his leg. There’s clearly a story there. I don’t know much about his past other than he’s a veteran. Whatever happened looks like it was really bad. I look away and back up, seeing he’s completely naked and stepping into my shower.
I hold back a gasp.
All the memories from that first and only night together come roaring back as I remember how it felt to have his strong body on mine. The same body that’s now in my shower with the water coating his skin.
