Page 80 of Succumbed

“We’re on our own journeys, brother. Might be with the same girl, and may end up at the same destination, but our pace won’t always match.”

“Sounds like a cop out,” I mutter.

He studies me for a moment, rare vulnerability shining through. “Love’s not always enough, Linc.”

I watch him disappear back into the guest bedroom, listening to the low murmur of Lex’s voice as she greets him. Their tones are playful, and warmth pushes away some of the chill Shane’s words sent through me. I’m naive enough to think loving someone is all it takes for a relationship to work, but I want to know exactly what’s on Shane’s mind.

It’s gotta be Dec. Things were tense between the three of us and incendiary between Dec and Lex. The forty-five minutes we spent together on Solum earlier in the week had been heated, neither of them bending an inch for the other. That’s not what Lex is torn up over, is it?

As though thinking of him summons the man himself, my brother appears at the top of the stairs.

“Linc!” Lex calls, laughing. “Come on, slowpoke–oh!”

Her playful words cut off as she swings out of the room, one hand bracing on the doorframe, and almost runs headlong into Dec. She jerks to a halt just in time and gapes up at him, eyes wide, their bodies barely inches apart.

Dec’s nostrils flare as he stares at her, his fingers curling into a fist as heat flashes in his gaze. I catch Shane’s eye as he comes into view through the doorway, his expression guarded.

“Hi, Declan.” Lex’s voice is strangled as she sways toward him, then catches herself. “We’re painting.”

His eyes trace her face, landing on a spot of gray on her cheek. Without a word, he licks his thumb and swipes it across her skin. Lex gasps at the contact, her body stilling and her eyes locked on Dec’s. Her lips part, breath turning ragged as he smears the paint. His eyes flick to hers, pupils dilating as they dip to her mouth.

Holy sexual tension, batman. What the fuck did I miss? I shift, jeans feeling tight, and catch Shane’s smirk out of the corner of my eye. Before I can taunt back, noticing he’s just as affected, Dec huffs and backs away.

“I can see that,” he bites out.

The spell between them breaks, much to my dismay. Lex blinks, shaking her head as though to clear it.

“Right,” she sighs, shoulders sagging. I frown as I look between them. “Well, it’s good to see you.”

Wordlessly, he watches her turn and slip past Shane, expression flat.

“I take it you lost my invite,” he grouses, tension bulking his shoulders.

“C’mon man. We thought it would be a good distraction, and you’ve been an ass to her lately. Didn’t seem like an offer you’d be interested in.”

“Right.” He tsks, glancing at the open door before stepping closer and pitching his voice low. “Is she ever not around, Linc?”

Scoffing, I lean away from his aggressive tone. “Fuck you, man. She’s rarely here outside of work shit and you know it.”

The look in his eyes is feral. My brother is a stern guy on a good day, but something about Lex brought out something…wild in him. I can’t tell if it’s anger, fear, or lust. After what I just witnessed, it might be a fucked up combination of all three.

“I just think you need to be careful–”

I hold my free hand up. “Stop. I’m not going down this road with you, Dec.”

I’m so done with his protests about Lex. It’s been nearly three months of working together, and his resistance feels more performative than genuine. He’s desperate to maintain some semblance of control, and for some reason, he still sees her as a threat.

Declan frowns, his eyes searching mine. He isn’t used to me giving him resistance.

“Linc, I just don’t want you getting hurt. I–”

“I’m not,” I interrupt, backing toward the open door. “Keep pushing her away, Dec, and you might just hurt us yourself.”

That wildness runs rampant through him as he watches me go, the vein down his forehead popping. I hold his gaze until I reach the door, challenging him wordlessly to be the bigger man. The better man. The man I know he can be if he puts aside his misplaced guilt and stops trying to control everything and everyone.

My hope is in vain. I know it as soon as he starts to turn away, but the knowledge doesn’t stop my gut from churning as he thunders down the stairs without a backward glance.

Sighing, I shake out my shoulders and muster a smile for Lex. Shane’s words echo in my head. He might not think love’s enough, but I’m pretty sure I do.

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