Part 34 (2/2)

Lane gasps. ”Luke!”

Lachy laughs. ”Luke said f.u.c.k.”

”Don't say that word, buddy,” Lane tells him.

I adjust myself and get up, hoping it's not too obvious. ”We're not done,” I tell Lane, walking past her to get to Lachlan. ”Where are they?” I ask him.

He shrugs. ”In the house.”

”And you just left?”

”They're fighting. Linc's got a baseball bat and he's shouting at Liam.”

I take his hand. ”Come on.”

We hear Linc yelling before we get to the inner fence. ”Tell me!” he shouts, ”I'll kill 'em.”

I meet Lane's panicked eyes and we dash for the house, Lachlan in tow.

Linc's pacing the living room, baseball bat over his shoulder while Liam... ”Holy s.h.i.+t. What happened?” I sit on the couch next to him. There's blood on his lip, a gash above his eye. His elbows are grazed, his gla.s.ses crooked. I glare up at Linc. ”What did you do?”

”It wasn't me!” he shouts.

Lane's on the other side of Liam now, her touch gentle as she checks over his face. ”Are you okay?”

Liam presses his lips tight, shaking his head and refusing to answer.

My heart pounds, fear choking me.

”Tell me!” Linc yells.

”What the h.e.l.l happened?” I boom, hearing Dad in my tone.

Linc stops pacing just long enough to say, ”I had detention after school and Liam had to get Lachlan and I came home and he was like this.”

”It happened before I got Lachlan,” Liam croaks, his words rushed, his eyes darting between Lane and me. ”Lachlan didn't see anything. I swear.”

”It's okay,” Laney says, hugging him to her.

I inhale deeply, exhale slowly, try to think of the right thing to do.

”Was it Benny and his boys?” Linc yells. ”Swear, I'm going to kill them all.”

”Stop it!” Liam cries.

Laney holds him tighter.

”That Benny Watson kid?” I ask.

Linc nods. ”He called Liam a f.a.g at school today.”

”I'm not a f.a.g!”

Linc sighs, his tone calmer when he says. ”I know you're not, but even if you are, who cares.” This is the dynamic of the twins. Even though they both get bullied, Liam has it worse because of his gla.s.ses and braces, and no matter how many times I tell him it'll pa.s.s-that I've been there-he gets defensive and Lincoln gets angry, set on war.

”Did Benny do this?” I ask, tone clipped. Watching your little brother break down and not being able to do anything about it is f.u.c.king crus.h.i.+ng. Liam's sobs fill the room and Lincoln looks to me for answers-answers I don't have.

”I'm going to kill him,” Linc grinds out.

”No, you won't,” I snap. ”I'll take care of it.”

”Don't tell Dad,” Liam cries.

I say, ”I think we have to, dude.”

”You know what I think?” Laney says. She rears back, holds Liam's face in her hands. ”I think you look a lot like Luke when he was your age. Gla.s.ses, braces, everything. And I crushed so hard on him back then. You're so handsome, and you're just going to get better looking as the years go on.” She glances at me, and I smile. I can't help it. ”Screw those guys, Liam. They're just jealous of how great you are.”

Liam sniffs. ”You know what would make me feel better?” he mumbles.

”What?” she asks.

Then he moves in and f.u.c.king kisses her. And I'm not talking a peck on the lips, I'm talking full make out, sloppy twelve-year-old tongue and everything. Lane's eyes widen, but then she laughs, his mouth covering hers and she lets him go on... until he grabs her b.o.o.b, and I've had enough. I pull him away by his s.h.i.+rt while silent shock fills the room. Then Liam chuckles and Linc bursts out laughing. Liam gets up and his twin follows after him. They cackle all the way to the back door. ”I can't believe you did that!” Linc says.

Liam laughs.

”What do her b.o.o.bs feel like?” Linc asks.

I groan.

”Like melons?” he pushes.

Liam laughs harder as he opens the back door. ”Like peaches!”

I look over at Lane, raise an eyebrow. ”What the h.e.l.l was that?”

She shrugs, giggles. ”At least he's better now,” she says, straightening her clothes. ”You did good, Luke.” Then she moves toward me, her lips puckered, and my nose scrunches, disgusted.

”Can you, like, gargle some mouthwash? I can't kiss you when you've got traces of my brother in your mouth.”

She laughs but complies, and I sit on the couch and stare at the ceiling, wondering how the h.e.l.l I'm going to handle this. She returns, her smile from ear-to-ear, and sits across my lap. ”This good?” She kisses me, her minty lips reminding me of what we started. I adjust us so we're lying on the couch, on our sides, and I return her kiss with more pa.s.sion, more power. And I realize that her baggage might be her exes, but mine is my family. Hers are gone, but mine is forever. ”Thank you,” I tell her between kisses.

”For what?”

”For being here and making everything okay again.”

She kisses me harder, her hands going between us, her fingers playing with my belt while mine sneak under the band of her jeans, and I get lost in the moment, in Laney. Until Lachlan cries, ”Who's supposed to be watching me?”

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