Page 48 of Rainbow Kisses

“You telling me he hasn’t told you?”

“He hasn’t told me shit about this,” I waved my hand in the air, “situation. Whatever the hell this situation is. You’re my brother. You fucking tell me.”

Reb’s mouth flattened and he shook his head. “It’s still none of your business, Rainy. It’s my business. And he stuck his nose in where he shouldn’t have. But you know what, I got it off my chest, and we’re done.”

I crossed my arms over my chest. “Did you do it with your fists?”

He looked me in the eyes. “The guy doesn’t have a scratch on him.”

“Then why do I think you punched the shit out of each other?”

“Maybe because you can do that with words. And once you get it out of your system, it’s done. At least, it is for me. But you should know you can’t trust him. Not with anything that matters.”

I shook my head. “Reb, you’re my brother, and I love you. But you’re pissing me the fuck off. Just tell me what the hell happened.”

His head tilted back, and he looked me in the eyes. “And if I’m not ready to tell you? Are you gonna give me the benefit of the doubt?”

I groaned, just a little. “Jesus, it’s been nearly a decade. Don’t you think it’s time to bury the hatchet? And I don’t mean in his head.”

“Trust is a hard thing to restore.” He shook his head. “Look, I know I can’t tell you what to do with your life?—”

“Not that you don’t try.”

“—but I just don’t want you to get hurt. That’s all. And I don’t trust him not to do that.”

Rebel had a look on his face I didn’t normally see. Usually, he sneered or grimaced. I rarely saw the guy smile anymore. Very rarely was it anger. I think that would be easier to handle sometimes.

This made my heart ache, because Rebel was hurt. He was covering it under a hell of a lot of angst, but whatever was going on with Brian, it hurt.

“Don’t you think I can take care of myself?”

He actually cracked a little bit of a grin. “You’re my little sister. Of course, I don’t think you can take care of yourself. I think it’s why I was born before you. It’s my fucking life’s mission to make sure you’re safe and happy.”

And here was the Rebel that made me laugh, the one I wanted to strangle with my own hands and give him a wedgie and hug him until he wasn’t always so fucking miserable.

“Jesus, Reb. What the hell am I supposed to do with you?”

“Make my life fucking easier until he’s gone.”

I couldn’t do that. I wasn’t going tonotbe friends, or more, with a man I’d had a crush on forever just because it would makemy brother’s life easier. Because Rebel was going to make it his mission in life to make sure Brian left as soon as possible.

And I wanted him to stay.

THIRTEEN

Brian

I stoodunder a hot shower for as long as I could stand it, trying to clear the shit out of my head.

Fuck. I’d been wrong. And not just a little wrong. Really fucking wrong.

Because I’d been wrapped up in my own shit. No wonder Rebel thought I was an asshole. I’d never told him about my sister or father back then. I’d only ever told Rowdy and then, not a lot. Rebel had been younger, and I didn’t want him to think less of me. To think I was as weak as they were.

Yeah, I’d been that asshole.

I’d only ever thought I was doing what I needed to do to keep things on track. Lin and Maddy were living with my parents at the time and Lin and my parents fought twenty-four-seven.

Jesus, that’d been a fucked-up few months. I’d kept my mouth closed way too much, when I should’ve been talking to my mom, talking to my sister, getting her the help she needed. But I’d had plans. I was going to play professional hockey. Except the only team that wanted me was the Devils. And whilethey were professional, they weren’t exactly where I wanted to be.

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