Page 27 of The Winning Ticket

“I don’t know that I ever really fit in when I was there,” I reply quietly.

His face drops a little while he regards me closely. “You always fit in here with us, little B,” he says, and his face suddenly lights up, “That’s it! I forgot about that nickname! Little B!”

I groan. I’d never been a fan of that nickname. It always reminded me that he only saw me as Morgan’s little sister.

“If I stop calling you JJ, will you promise not to call me Little B?”

“Not a chance, Little B.” He steps closer to me and looks down into my eyes. “And it was never because you were one of the little sisters, Bri.”

I peer up at him, wondering how he could have known that’s what I was thinking. “Why, then?”

“Because it riled you up. And I like that,” he said with that cheeky grin.

I poke my tongue out at him, ignoring the slight rumble in his voice and the way my body reacts to it.

He flashes me a grin, still looking down at me, and I have to resist the urge to move closer to him.

What am I getting myself into with this man?

Sunday rolls around, and I head to Morgan’s for lunch, Jake’s offer still on my mind.

On paper, it seems like a perfect solution to my dilemma. But after Richard kicked me out, I am worried that if I live with someone who owns the place again, they will be able to do the same thing to me.

I know Jake isn’t Richard, not even close, but it’s still hard to push aside the fear that I’d be at the mercy of another man.

“What are you thinking about so hard?” Morgan asks when she puts a plate of chicken and salad in front of me.

I start picking at the skin that Morgan has left on the chicken and look up to see her glaring at me.

“What?” I ask, realising I haven’t been paying attention to anything she’s said for the last few minutes.

“What are you doing to that chicken?” she asks, her eyes narrowing while she looks at the pile I’d started to make.

“I…” I look down at my plate. I hadn’t even realised what I was doing. “Picking the skin out.”

“Why?” Her voice is dangerously low.

“Um… habit.” I shift a little under her watchful gaze.

“Brianna Watkins. Did that asshole tell you off for eating the skin on roast chicken?”

She knows very well he did. Richard always claimed it was for my own good that he cared so much about what I ate, but the further I move away from his influence, the more I’m starting to realise just how controlling he was over every aspect of my life.

I let out a puff of air before stabbing my fork into the pile of skin and shoving it into my mouth. Morgan nods and goes back to eating her own lunch.

“So, Jake asked me to move into the apartment,” I say before shoving another mouthful of food in my mouth, hoping the change of topic will get her to stop watching me so closely.

Morgan nods while she chews, and I’m surprised at how calmly she’s taken the information.

“Yeah, Chris mentioned he might ask you. I think it’s a great idea.”

I stare at her for a moment. “You do?”

“Of course I do. That apartment is fucking amazing.”

“But… On Friday night, you acted like it was such a big deal that Jake and I were even friends, and now you’re fine if I live with him?” I’m starting to get whiplash from my sister’s mood swings.

“I was being overly sensitive on Friday. You say nothing is going on, and I believe you. Besides, Jake is awesome, and he’ll barely be there anyway, so it’s not a big deal.”

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