Fuck. I keep my face neutral and nod calmly.
He smirks at that, but it’s not his usual cocky, sexy smirk. It’s contemptuous and taunting. “Say it.”
“Oh, come on. What the fuck are you trying to do here?” I ask hotly, quickly losing my patience. “Just stop upsetting my sister, for fuck’s sake.”
“Do you love Devin?” he demands angrily.
“Yes. Fine. I love all the Garrison brothers like they’re my own,” I snap, and I mean it but I wish I didn’t. Jordan’s such an annoying fuck.
“Bullshit.” He almost laughs. Almost. “You love Devin the same way Jessie loves me, not like a brother.”
“Nobody loves anybody the way Jessie loves you, which is why you are a dumbass for screwing it up,” I respond instantly and I mean it.
He shakes his head, his smile confident. “You never said it. Say you love Devin.”
“Are you high or just stupid?” I argue and I can feel the anger making my face flush. “I just said I love all the stupid Garrison brothers.”
“Say, ‘I love Cole.’”
“I love Cole.” I roll my eyes. “And Leah.”
He nods. “Now say ‘I love Devin.’”
“No.”
“Callie.”
“What the fuck is your problem?” I yell. It’s loud. It’s venomous. It brings Rose rushing to the door of the room, a concerned look on her stunning face.
“Say it,” Jordan says, leaning back in the leather chair he’s sitting in and placing his hands behind his head. “It’s not a big deal, right? I mean, you say you love your sisters all the time. I hear it. ‘I love you, Jessie. I love you, Rosie.’”
“It’s not a big deal, it’s just ridiculous and I’m not a child like you, Big Bird,” I argue back.
He chuckles. “You just said you weren’t a child and called me Big Bird in the same sentence.”
“Fuck off.”
“Callie, if you say, ‘I love Devin Garrison’ out loud—right now—then I will back off. I won’t bother you ever again. You can live your life alone, without my brother, and sleep with whomever you want. I’ll set you up with all of my teammates. And most importantly, I will never say a derogatory thing about you that will upset Jessie ever again,” he promises.
“That’s a fucking lie,” I retort and run my hands through my hair. I feel a wave of panic rise up in me and I don’t know why.
He raises one of his giant hands like he’s taking an oath. “If I am lying, may I never win another Stanley Cup again.”
“Whoa,” I hear from the doorway and look over to see Luc has joined Rosie and is also eavesdropping. “That’s serious, Cal. He’s serious.”
I jerk my head in that direction and point, even though Jordan can’t see them. “I said I love you all like brothers. Why the fuck isn’t that enough? I don’t hear you confessing your love to anyone but Jessie ever. Because it’s stupid.”
“Hey! Luc!” Jordan calls out.
“Yeah?”
“I love you, bro.”
“Aw…” Luc bursts out laughing. “You’re such a chick.”
“I love you,” Jordan calls out again loudly like he’s almost singing it. I want to punch my fist through the screen.
Luc is still laughing. “Whatever. I love you too. You and your vagina.”
