Page 33 of Regrets

“What?” I nod at Lola who is sitting next to me. “We’re all practically adults here. I think we can joke around about shit.”

Lola smiles as she rolls her eyes. “Will you stop being a jerk? You’re embarrassing them.”

“There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. You might be surprised to know that I myself had company last night.” I place my hand on my bare chest and joke with my sister.

She feigns shock, making an O with her mouth and placing her hands on her cheeks. “Say it isn’t so! My brother is now a man.”

I laugh as she lays a playful punch on my shoulder. “Damn straight. Now the question is, is our little brother?”

Penelope shifts in her seat. She’s not laughing, and neither is Colt. “Linc, your dick is going to fall off some day if you don’t start being more careful.”

I roll my eyes at Colt but then rest my gaze on Penelope. “You should have seen the girl in my bed last night—fucking gorgeous. Perfect tits.”

I see a flicker of anger in Penelope’s eyes as she stands up from the table and walks to the sink, not saying a word.Come on. Say something.

It’s like a drug, pushing Penelope’s buttons, watching her squirm under my thumb and come unraveled, showing the real her.

She rinses her bowl in the sink and looks over at Colt. “Are you ready?”

He nods and stands up, shoveling the last bite into his mouth. “Yup.”

“Where are you two going?” I try to sound like I don’t give a fuck, but it doesn’t work.

Colt rinses his bowl and places it in the dishwasher. “For a jog. You want to come?”

I shake my head. “Nah.”

He nods as Penelope walks to the kitchen door and opens it, looking over at Lola. “Will you still be here in an hour?”

Lola nods, and they say goodbye, leaving. Soon after, Asher goes back upstairs, leaving Lola and me alone.

I take another bite of cereal and chew silently as Lola watches me and takes a drink of her coffee, looking suspicious. “Is something going on with you and Penelope?”

I nearly choke on my cereal. As I recover, I look at her, trying to determine whether she’s serious. I didn’t expect that from Lola. “What?”

“Don’t give me that, Linc. You couldn’t stop looking at her.”

“She’smyfriend too, not just Colt’s girlfriend.”

“You weren’t looking at her like a friend, Linc.”

She’s legitimately concerned. “I just like to fuck with people, Lola. You know that. She’s our brother’s girlfriend.”

“Yeah, she is. And they’re in love.”

I take another bite of cereal and chew it. “I know.”

She places a hand on my arm, and I think she’s trying to be comforting. “Linc, please don’t.”

I lift my eyes from the cereal floating in milk to look at her. “Don’t what?”

“I know you like to push boundaries. It’s fine. You’re my brother, and I love you no matter what, but this . . .” She swallows as if what she’s thinking is so horrible she has to gain courage to talk about it, and that annoys the shit out of me. “You have to decide if it’s really worth tearing this family apart because it will.”

I try my hardest to pretend that I have no idea what she’s talking about, but I know. It’s something that haunts me every day. “Relax, Lola. It’s not that serious.”

“It’s deadly serious, Linc. He loves her. She’s his.”

I pick my bowl up and take it to the sink, pouring the remainder of it down the garbage disposal and turn to face my sister. “I know that.”

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