Page 39 of Sweet Southern Heat

“Hello, brother.” A hint of a sneer tainted his greeting.

“Lyle,” I said as I approached, stopping a few yards away. He was unpredictable at best and had a pocketful of something that would make him feel ten feet tall and bulletproof. It was best to keep my distance.

“To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“I’ve been trying to get ahold of you,” I said through clenched teeth.

“I’ve been busy,” he said and continued to puff on his cigarette, holding it between his thumb and forefinger like a joint as he turned to face me. Staring into his dull blue eyes, I couldn’t bring myself to deliver the news that might crush him, so I settled on confronting him about the vandalism. I neededanswers. It didn’t matter that my instincts told me he did it. I needed to hear it from him.

“Somebody vandalized Olivia’s bakery and her car. Do you know anything about that?” I asked, gauging his reaction.

“Now why on earth would you thinkIwould know anything about that?” he asked, feigning innocence. He didn’t fool me, not anymore. I studied him for a moment, taking in his rigid posture. The hard set of his jaw and the hatred burning in his eyes gave him away. A sense of relief filled my chest, but it was quickly replaced by unease.

“You know, don’t you?”

“Know what,big brother?” he sneered and threw his bud to the grass before putting it out with the toe of his shoe. “That you’ve been enjoying my sloppy seconds or that you betrayed me by hooking up with the bitch who ruined my life?”

“Watch your mouth,” I growled, unwilling to let him get away with slandering Olivia any longer. He scoffed and pinned me with a glare.

“So you would choose that whore over your own brother?” Ignoring the stab of guilt spearing through my chest, I pushed on.

“I know what really happened that night. You’re the one who caused that wreck, not Olivia.” His eyes narrowed into slits, and his nostrils flared as he took a step toward me. I stood my ground, unwilling to show my trepidation.

“Is that what she told you when she came to the garage after hours to see you?” All the blood drained from my face, and I swallowed down the bile rising in my throat. Had he known all along about us? Was he following me?

A satisfied grin curled his lips, and he continued.

“Did she whisper those lies in your ear while you fucked her?” The taunting lilt of his tone turned to a growl, and his chest heaved as rage washed over his features. It made sense now whyhe wrote whore on that paper and on her car. The timing wasn’t a coincidence. He thought we were sleeping together back then, but we weren’t. I still believed his lies at the time, but he didn’t know that. All he knew was we were alone together in a place we shouldn’t have been and assumed the worst. Then he took his revenge.

Indignation swelled in my chest, and I rushed to defend myself against his accusations.

“It wasn’t like that. I defended you!” He let out a humorless laugh.

“Right,” he said sardonically. “And you didn’t spend the night with her at her family’s lake house? Oh, and all those times your truck was seen parked in her driveway, you were ‘remodeling her bathroom’.” He rolled his eyes and scoffed.

“It … nothing happened until the lake house. But we didn’t spend the night together. It didn’t go that far.” It wasn’t the whole truth, but it wasn’t exactly a lie either.

“It doesn’t matter,” he gritted out through clenched teeth. “I’m your brother. She’s nothing but a spoiled rich bitch who everyone thinks is all sweet and innocent.” His nostrils flared, and he took a step toward me, his expression hardening. “Well, she’s not. She hasn’t been innocent for a long time. I made sure of that when I popped that sweet cherry of hers.”

Anger pulsed through my veins, and fire licked up my spine. He was goading me. I realized that, yet I couldn’t help the way my fists curled at my sides. I wanted to hit him. I wanted to forget that he ever touched what was mine, but he wanted to rub it in my face that he was her first.

Well, little brother, I would be her last.

I had to remind myself that, like a cornered and wounded animal, he was lashing out. He was hurt, and the only way he knew to deal with those unpleasant feelings was to hurt others in return. I understood, but I wouldn’t let him get away with it anylonger. He was on a self-destructive path, and I couldn’t stand to watch his entire life go up in flames.

“I know you’re upset, and you feel betrayed, but what you did was wrong. Olivia didn’t deserve all the shit you put her through. She certainly didn’t deserve to have her business attacked and her car trashed.”

Lyle gritted his teeth and glanced away, unable to meet my eyes. His chastised expression brought me back to when we were kids, and he got in trouble. I always wanted to protect him, even when I knew he was guilty. That was what big brothers did. Seeing him like this caused a regretful ache to take root in my chest, and I softened toward him a bit.

“I’m so, so sorry you got hurt that night and that wreck derailed your football career, but Olivia isn’t at fault, and you can’t keep blaming her for all your problems. You need to take accountability for your part in it. Maybe then you can start to find peace.”

His chest heaved as he drew in a deep inhale and released it. He still refused to look at me, but I hoped what I said got through to him. I wanted to pull him into my arms and comfort him like I did when he was little and skinned his knee or fell off his bike, but I suspected he wouldn’t welcome my embrace.

“Find peace,” he repeated thoughtfully as his stare fixed on the ground between us. Seconds passed before he finally looked up again, but he still refused to meet my eye. “Yeah. Maybe you’re right.” With that, he turned on his heel and walked up the steps to the back porch, disappearing inside without another word.

Chapter 34

Olivia

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