Page 53 of The Last Good Man

“Like when you were little and did some shit. Later, it was the illegal shit. You didn’t steal the money,”shesays,hervoice beaming with concern.

“I’m not a thief.”

“I know you’re not. Oh…”

Her hand flies to her mouth.

“It’s a girl,” she murmursjustas the door opens.

10

JAX

“What girl?”

The male voice behind me is hoarse with sleep.

My mother’s eyes flick up, and I look over my shoulder as my eighteen-year-old brother strolls into the kitchen, wearing only boxer shorts.

Squeezing one eye shut to fight off the light, hecracks a smileat me.

“Why is everybody so quiet? I want to hear more about this girl.”

“You always do…” my mother says, grinning softly.

She shifts her eyes to me.

“Hisgirlsdrive me crazy,” she confesses. “They’re everywhere. I’m surprised you didn’t find them sleeping on the stairs. They call, text, and show up uninvited,” she drones on while Noah, my little brother, laughs, scooping out a bottle of water from the fridge.

“Who says they were uninvited?” he murmurs before gulping down water, a naughty smile creasing his lips.

“He’s worse than you,” my mother says, and I refute her claim with a grin.

She has none of my bullshit.

“Don’t even try it,” she says with a faint gesture. “The only difference was that you had never invited them here. I’m not so surehedid it, either. These girls…” She sighs. “One in particular is batshit crazy. I almost ran her over yesterday morning when I backed out of the driveway to go to work.”

Her eyes go to Noah as he crashes into his seat.

“Who is she?” my mother asks.

He shrugs.

His chest is broad, his arms and shoulders chiseled, yet he is lanky, notyeta man.

“I don’t keep track of them,” he says, a playful smile on his lips while he brings his drink to his mouth.

He evades our eyes.

A concerned look slides over my mother’s face.

“Maybe you should. Although, inhercase, I see a restraining order inherfuture.”

“Nah,” my brother dismisses my mother’s fears with a flickof his hand. “She’s harmless. They all are,” he says, putting his water down and sliding his elbows onto the table.

His focus comes to me.

“What about your girl?” he asks, a shred of curiosity glinting in his eyes. He winks at me. “Is someone cute?”

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