Page 18 of Corrupt Idol

He tossed an arm over her shoulder and drew her against his side. “Dinner?”

Jesse stood across from them. She couldn’t read his expression since he wore his dark sunglasses, but she got the distinct impression that he didn’t like what was happening. Good. Anything that pissed him off made her happy. He had always been an overprotective older brother even before their sexual relationship began. In her junior year, he went ballistic when he caught her with her boyfriend Tucker. That was the day everything changed.

She ignored Jesse and gave Brody an apologetic smile. “Sorry, I’m exhausted and I need to spend time with Lynne.”

“Right.” Brody sobered and jerked his head at the house. “My mom heard you two were back. She sent me over here with a casserole.”

“Aw, that’s so sweet.”

“How long are you here for?” Marissa asked.

She focused on the girl at Jesse’s side. Marissa was his middle school girlfriend who had never gotten over him.

“I’m not sure,” she said.

“Jesse says you’re moving back,” Marissa persisted.

She eyed Jesse who had the military stance down pat. “Yes, I am.”

“You looking for a job?”

“Where do you work?” she asked.

“My mom’s shop.”

“I might take you up on that.”

Hours passed as they stood on the driveway, catching up on life. She had dodged these people for years to avoid innocent inquiries about Jesse only to find herself relaxed and laughing as they bantered. They treated her like one of the pack even though she had excused herself long ago. They brought up memories that had been overshadowed by the filth Jesse wrought in her life. Her hopes and dreams died when Jesse painted her world in shades of gray. He made her an outcast. She couldn’t make real connections with people because she couldn’t let anyone know what was happening to her.

As Marissa caught her up on all their friends’ marriages, she constructed a mental flowchart that would come in handy since she was moving back. The easy camaraderie between all of them banished her anxieties and made her feel almost normal. People came and went and she made plans to get together with all of them and by God, she was gonna keep her promise. Jesse may have fucked up her teenage years, but she couldn’t let him ruin her future as well. She was going to start over. She had people rooting for her, people who wanted to help and reconnect with her. None of them thought it was embarrassing that she was moving home. They were excited to have her back. By the time the last person left, the sun had set and she and Jesse were left standing beneath the orange streetlights.

“Where did you go today?” he asked.

She walked away from him.

“Vi.”

She walked past the SUV and heard the garage coming down as she reached for the door that led into the house. He spun her around to face him.

“What?”

“Where did you go?” he demanded.

“I told you I was going to the store.”

He glanced in the car. “Where’s your bags?”

Fucker. “Let me go.”

He hauled her close. “Where’d you go?”

She lifted her chin. “Planned Parenthood.”

He stiffened. “For what?”

She punched him. “For what? Are you serious?” She wrenched away from him. “I got an STD test and the morning after pill, jackass.”

“STD test?”

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