Page 17 of Forgive You

“It’s not funny.”

“It’s a little funny.” She puts her thumb and index close together, leaving a small space open between the two digits, asassy grin peering up at me behind it before she gives my brother a short wave.

Jacob clears his throat, his vile glare burning at our baby brother.

“Still following the honey dripping from his ass, Jordan? Oh wait, Mama told me. It’s Cash now, isn’t it? Cash Jordan? Country Music Star? Can I get tickets to your show at the mall?”

Most brothers—no, let me rephrase that.Normalbrothers would be proud of their younger brother for pursuing a career in music. Not Jacob. Jacob is a sad little bitch who wants everyone to be miserable and makes it his soul mission to suck the fun out of everything.

Including the blonde next to him, who’s looking like someone fed her a lemon while expecting a popsicle.

“Still better than all the shit following you,” Jordan bites back.

Ford whistles, drawing Jacob’s attention away from Jordan and I. “Wow, family dinners must be a blast at your house.”

“You have no idea,” Jordan grits out.

“Hey, man. I’m Ford.” He reaches out his hand, and Jacob takes it, once again plastering that fake ass smile onto his cheeks.

Fucking psychopath.

“Don’t trust everything dumb and dumber told you. I bet these two have painted a pretty bad picture about me, haven’t they?”

“Jesus Christ.” I rub a hand over my forehead.

Tell me I’ve been switched by birth, please.

“Nah, you’re doing a pretty good job yourself.” Ford shakes his head, his tone casual, and it rips a chuckle from my chest.

I remember why I like this knucklehead again.

“Jules, you do know you can do so much better, right?” Jordan aims his focus at Julie, who’s looking like she’s ready for the ground to swallow her whole, while Jacob takes the moment to kiss her hair with a smugness someone needs to slap off.

I volunteer for tribute.

A tight smile slips onto her pink lips, one that grinds my molars together because I can’t stand that Jacob is making her feel uncomfortable. “Right now, I’ve had my stomach full of Spencer boys, no offense.”

Jacob tugs her against his side, growing the discomfort.

“Wait a couple hours and you’ll have something else full of Spencer.”

That motherfucker.

How dare he say shit like that to her at a work event?

I inch farther, about to give every nerve in my body the pleasure from showing this son of a bitch this entire gala with my fists before Jordan subtly tugs me back. Exhaling through my nose, my fury sizzles at my big brother until I notice how the blood has disappeared out of Julie’s cheeks.

He embarrasses her.

She glances up at him, her gaze a mix of hatred and sadness that pierces through my heart like a dozen needles at the same time.

I hate him.

“You are disgusting. I need to go to the bathroom.” She worms herself out of his grasp, her eyes set to the floor as she struts away, and I imagine my shoes are glued to the spot to not run after her.

You need to stop doing this, Jason.

“Trouble in paradise, Jake?” Jordan taunts, and my glare roams up.

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