see you later
Dante
you don’t have to make everything difficult
don’t i? You like it
Dante
fuck
When I finally exit themath building in the afternoon, Parker leans casually against the brick wall with his laptop precariously balanced on one hand as he types furiously with the other. Instead of dodging him, I walk right up to him, and stop with my hand held out. Parker’s jaw clenches, but he doesn’t even attempt to argue. I can’t help but grin when a familiar carton is pressed into my palm.
“Thank you ever so much,” I say with acalculated grin.
Parker’s eyes narrow. “You understand I’m keeping you alive, right?”
“Tomato, tomah-toe.”
“I’m literally… you know what. I don’t care. Go to the car so I can drive you back to the house. I’m switching with Jacob. I’ll watch your brother while he watches over you. You want to be a little shit, the little shit can watch over you so that you guys can attempt to out–little shit each other.”
“That’s a lot of little shits,” I reply with a mocking little frown. “Did I upset you?”
Parker’s eyes twitch so badly that I’m momentarily afraid he’s going to have a stroke or maybe a coronary. Instead, Parker takes a deep, slow breath, then turns around to head toward the parking lot. I follow behind him like a good boy because believe it or not, I don’t have a death wish. The ride is once again totally silent. Parker doesn’t even turn the radio on.
When he parks the car in the garage, he jumps out, comes around to my side and aggressively swings the door open. I gasp in shock when he bodily yanks me out of the SUV. I dig my feet into the ground but he’s taller, and much broader, so I don’t have much of a chance. The sound of voices from the kitchen reaches my ears before the sound of my blood boiling in my veins takes over.
Parker’s grip on my arm is unforgiving. The voices cease talking when we step into the kitchen. Dante’s eyes dart from me, to Parker’s hand on my arm, to Parker’s livid face.He moves quickly to cross the room, hand on my shoulder as he gets in Parker’s face. I shiver at the intensity rolling off of him. I don’t know if it’s turning me on or frightening me, these days it seems to be a dangerous combination.
“Let him go,” Dante orders, eyes hard on Parker.
“I cannot handle him. It’ll have to be Jacob,” Parker says, voice low but firm.
Jacob lifts his head from where he sits at the table. “But I’ve got the older brother.”
“No. Switch with me.”
Jacob and Parker stare each other down, before Jacob shrugs as if in awful acceptance of his punishment. I’m notthatterrible.
“Dante…” I start, but slam my mouth shut when Dante stares me down.
“Alright, Parker,” Dante says slowly, carefully minding his tone. “Jacob will watch Reid when he goes to campus. You can watch Mason.”
Parker’s jaw is still clenched tight when he nods tightly. Blood pounds in the spots where his fingers crushed my arm the moment he lets go. I rub awkwardly at my arm as Parker disappears up the stairs, the door to his room slamming loud enough to make me cringe.
“Why are you being so difficult?” Dante asks, teeth gritted in barely restrained fury. He’s probably trying to scare me, but it actually oddly turns me on.
I open my mouth to reply, but nothing comes out. All words are frozen in my head, throat closed so not even a half-hearted attempt can escape.
“Oh, this just got too tense for me. I’m outtie,” Jacob says before promptly exiting the room.
“Dante.”
Dante shakes his head firmly. “No. Go upstairs.”
My feet force me along before my brain can even process that I’m moving. The sound of Dante’s feet climbing the stairs behind me should scare me, but they don’t. Yeah, I’m being a brat. Normally I think it riles Dante up, but something aboutthis situation is making it do the opposite. Maybe I grossly overplayed my hand. Maybe I fucked up, actually.
When we’re safely ensconced in his room, I open my mouth to apologize, but Dante crowds me back against the door and presses his hand to my mouth. I’m trapped. My heart pounds wildly in my chest, like the wings of a hummingbird as they escape capture. Dante smells like he always does, like spice and a hint of sweat. His nostrils flare as he leers down at me, body poised to punish with how tight his muscles are coiled.
