“You don’t get to tell me how to talk to my sister!” he roars, shoving me back just as hard. “You were supposed to be my brother!”
“I am your brother,” I fire back. “Which is exactly why I wasn’t going to sneak around forever.”
He laughs harshly. “Oh, you weren’t going to sneak around forever? How noble of you.”
Amelia moves between us, hands shaking. “Please. Both of you. Stop.”
Kamden’s eyes shift to her, and the hurt on his face morphs into something sharper.
“How long?” he demands.
She swallows. “A few weeks.”
“A few weeks?” He looks back at me like I personally stabbed him. “So every time we were sitting in that locker room. Every time you were telling me you were ‘fine.’ Every time you were acting distant. You were screwing my sister?”
“Kamden!” Amelia gasps.
I step forward, jaw tight. “Watch your mouth.”
He ignores me.
“You know what he does, Amelia?” Kamden’s voice rises. “You know how many girls I’ve watched him walk through like they meant nothing?”
That one lands.
I see it hit her.
“He’s Wild for a reason,” Kamden continues, voice venomous. “You think you’re special? You think you’re going to be the one that changes him?”
“Enough,” I warn.
“You’ve always had a savior complex,” he throws at her. “Always thinking you can fix broken things.”
Her face goes pale.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” she says, but her voice wavers.
“I know exactly what I’m talking about!” he shouts. “You almost got yourself hurt once chasing a baseball player. Now you’re doing it again?”
That does it.
I grab his jersey, shoving him back against the railing.
“You bring that up again,” I say through clenched teeth, “and I swear to God?—”
“What?” he challenges. “You’ll hit me?”
“No,” I say, my voice low and lethal. “I’ll stop calling you my brother.”
The words hang heavy between us.
Amelia’s breathing is uneven now. I can feel it without even looking at her.
“You think this is a game?” Kamden says to me, eyes blazing. “You think this is some locker room hookup?”
“I love her,” I say, not yelling. Not defensive. Just clear.
Silence crashes down.
