Page 50 of Hollyhocks

She places her head on my chest, reaching for the coffee table to set down her empty wine glass. “Thank you, Fitz. I appreciatethat. I’m not ready to talk about it. I can’t go down that dark road right now.”

Whatever happened, it must be bad. The thought of anyone hurting her makes me want to go on a rampage. I feel very protective over her in ways I can’t explain because I hardly understand these emotions. Do I like her? Or do I like what my mind is creating around her?

Regardless, anything horrible that happened to her has a weight of anger bearing down on my chest.

She lifts up onto one arm, staring down at me with a glint in her eyes I can’t place. “If you really knew me, you’d run away from me as fast as you could.”

I sit up, taking one last sip of wine before setting my glass next to hers. I drift my hand up her arm, right beside the fin. I wish it were real. I’d want to know if they are sensitive. Could I lick, kiss, and rub them? Could I make her orgasm?

Drifting my fingers up, nerves flutter in my stomach like dragonflies flapping their wings nonstop.

“I’m bad for you, Fitz. I’m warning you now. I’m bad for you.”

I cup her face, tilting my head to lean in for a kiss. “Prove it,” I dare her, my gaze dropping to her lips. A boiling heat invades my body, the kind that has me wanting to bend her over this couch and show her who she belongs to.

I fuckingwantthat.

“If anything, I’m the one who is bad for you,” I admit, the all too familiar guilt eating away at me.

She’s the closest thing I’ll ever have to what I want. I don’t want to let this go.

“I’ve experienced things that are horrendous, even torturous, but you, Fitz, are anything but bad.”

I lean in closer, our noses grazing one another. “You’d be surprised. The worst of the worst lives inside everybody. Hiding the villain to prove how good you are is an art form most havemastered.” I rub my thumb across her cheek, the slight scratch of the calloused pad over smooth skin is whispering to me how different she and I are.

I don’t care.

Just as our lips touch, my new cellphone blares from the counter. The ringtone belongs to my sister.

I move my mouth to the side, kissing the corner of her mouth where it creases. “I need to answer that. It’s my sister.”

“I understand. I can go—”

“—No, stay here. I don’t want you alone in your house during a storm.” I stand, adjusting my cock as I turn so Holly doesn’t see how much I want her. I’m ready to burn this house to the ground and fuck her in the warmth of the ashes if it means I get to feel her cunt spasm around me.

Holly wraps the blankets around her shoulders. “Thank you.”

I unplug my replacement phone from the charger, swipe the screen, and answer, “Hey, Heather. Are you almost here?” I check the time glowing on the microwave. “You shouldn’t be too far out.”

“I can’t get there for another few days, Fitz.”

My heart drops to the fucking floor when I hear those words. I give my back to Holly and try to keep my voice quiet. “What do you mean you won’t be here for a few days? You and Eli need to get here now. Dad isn’t fucking around, Heather.”

“You don’t think I know that? Elijah is sick with a fever, Fitz. He can barely walk. He had to come home from class at SCU. He is vomiting. He can’t keep anything down. I’m worried about him.”

Elijah lives at home with his mom while going to school. He didn’t want to leave her alone. He has grown into a good man. He works part-time while going to school and dealing with his duties of being captain of the SCU’s swim team. He contributes to the household. I remember him telling me, “I won’t ever feelcomfortable leaving mom alone. She protected me. It’s my turn to protect her.”

I’m so fucking proud of him.

“What do you mean he is sick? I would rather him travel sick than have his piece of shit grandfather kick your door down.”

“His fever is one hundred and two. The doctors told me if it got any higher, I’d have to take him to the hospital. I can’t risk traveling with him. He is in a fog right now. He needs help just to go to the bathroom. I have to wait, Fitz. I won’t apologize for keeping his best interest—”

“—His best interest is getting out of that house!” I roar, yelling at my sister for the first time in her life.

I pull the phone away from my ear when I hear her take a sharp breath. “Fitz,” her whispered voice wobbles.

Arms wrap around my waist. Holly hugs me from behind and the simple gesture has me relaxing. I place my hand on top of hers to calm myself down. Holly is magic.

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