“He was protecting you by inviting you into that natatorium,” she said.
Knowing what the fuck she was about to say, Diesel actually fucking cringed.
“He was trying to teach you not to act like a fourteen-year-old and trust whatever Kaia tells you.”
“He waswhat?”
Fuck. It sounded as fucked up now as it did when Uncle Christopher repeated it to Aunt Meggie.
“You should thank him for inviting you down there,” Jana continued. “Obviously, he was right to do so. You have a lot to learn, especially if you can’t see what an excellent big brother he is.”
Rebel’s shock was clearing, which wasn’t a good thing. The more Jana spoke, the more fury darkened her eyes.
“You’re defending him, Jana?”
“As I should,” she said firmly. “Hecan’t get through to you and he’s talked about you and how you’ve broken his heart, so it’s up to me to step in. From this moment forward, you willnotbring up that incident again. It’s over and done with. Get over it.”
Rebel blinked.
“She hears you, sweetheart,” Diesel said to Jana, trying to diffuse the situation before Rebel fucking exploded. “We’ll talk and—”
“No, babe. You’ve been so very sad. I am defending you.” She kissed Diesel on his shocked lips, then turned to Rebel again. “I’m also defendingyou. As your big sister, I need to steer you in the right direction.”
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me.”
“Yeah, no. You fucking hear me, you fucking ungrateful bitch. Don’t fucking talk to me ever again. I’m the main one around this motherfucker who defended you whenthatmotherfucker was motherfuckering. Which is every fucking day. You don’t even have fucking clothes,” Rebel yelled, furious all over again. “You’re fucking pathetic, simpering behind him. Jumping when he snaps his fucking fingers. And you have the fucking nerve to confront me when you don’t have a motherfucking backbone to even stand straight the fuck up.”
“Goddamn,” Torrin said.
“And I already have a woman to steer me, bitch. And that woman will also kick you the fuck off the property for hurting my fucking feelings.” She snatched her phone from her back pocket and dialed.
“Rebel, wait—” Diesel began.
“Mommie!” Rebel wailed, with not a tear in her goddamn eyes. “Jana…Jana…” She sniffled. “O-okay.”
Another sniffle before she disconnected and smirked. “Now, bitch, see you, wouldn’t want to be you.”
With that, she started off down the same pathway Jana had so recently used and fucked up all the progress he’d made with Rebel. Jana burst into real tears.
“Rebel, wait,” Diesel called.
She threw him the bird over her shoulder.
“Don’t you need to be here when Meggie arrives?” Torrin asked, the question halting her.
She turned and smirked. “Nope. I was too heartbroken to stick around. I’ll have to text her to tell her to find me at the swings once Jana is off the premises.”
“Rebel, please—” Jana cried in a watery voice.
“Sweetheart, you never have to talk to me—” Diesel started, interrupting Jana before she pissed off Rebel even further.
Rebel folded her arms and clamped her jaw, signaling the return of her silent treatment. He wished Jana had shut the fuck up. Handing her off to Torrin because he couldn’t comfort her while he focused on Rebel, he stepped toward her.
“Jana…you tell her all the time she needs to stand up for herself.”
“To you. Not for you,” she snapped. “You shoved that bitch down my throat. I ended up liking her and she turned on mefor you? Whenweboth fucking know the fucking reason you had me come to that fucking natatorium hadnothing to do with you being my big brother. You were jealous of Kaia, fuckhead. Tell that stupid bitch that and then let her make a fucking jackass out of herself.”
