Page 80 of Crash

“So many things. First, she’s beautiful and she doesn’t even know it. She’s strong and fierce, and honest. I never have to worry about where I stand with her. She’s so damn smart and good with numbers. She has a big heart,” he says, looking directly at me.

“I’m so happy about you two. I was worried that Vivienne might not want a relationship, so I’m glad she has you. I hope we can all be good friends.”

“I hope so too. The best part is, I don’t have to be scared of my girl’s mom like Jake is.”

“She’s intimidating, but she’s a good person. Very loving. Extremely loyal. It wasn’t easy on her raising two girls by herself,” my mother says in defense of Aunt Gabrielle.

“And she spoils Jake and Chris,” I say. “She makes them special meals. Gives them the high-end rum, while the rest of us get the lower end stuff. She’ll invite us all to dinner, but Jake and Chris get a whole separate meal, which they lord over us.”

“That sounds like her,” my mother says. “That means she loves her sons-in-law. Trust me, if she didn’t love them, you would know.” Mom leaves the table and walks out but comes back in a few minutes with something in her hand. “For you, Lucas.”

It’s a bottle of rum like the one Jake has. Luke jumps up, hugs my mom so tight, he lifts her off the ground.

“Love, Jake and Sandy won’t be able to compete with us,” Luke says.

CHAPTER 46

LUKE

“Tell me about your childhood,” she says to me as we lay in my bed at home. We’re both naked, wrapped around each other, her hand caressing my hip every few seconds. “I want to hear about a happy childhood.”

Her words make my heart ache for the unhappy little girl she once was.

“It was perfect. I had everything, but the best were my two older brothers. They took me everywhere, played with me, and taught me things. Not only did they love me, but they loved each other. They were best friends and the three of us were always together. My parents and extended family doted on me. We took trips, had great holidays and birthdays. It was perfect until I was fifteen.” Her hand stops mid caress, and I lay my hand on hers, prompting her to continue. She gets the message, and I relax into her touch.

“What happened when you were fifteen?”

“Troy was about twenty-seven, and Jake twenty-five. Something happened between them, and they didn’t have a relationship with each other for five years. The only time they interacted was obligatory family functions, and those were always a clusterfuck because they’d get into fistfights or arguments.”

She continues to caress me, but it’s not with the same tender touch she had before. I can tell my words have rattled her.

“What? They seem like the best of friends to me. They’re always joking at work, and Troy comes over to workout with him all the time. They went jogging together just the other day.”

“Well, things are better now, but they are nowhere near as close as they used to be before the rift.”

“What happened?”

“It’s not my story to tell, but let’s just say that Tracy was Jake’s girlfriend first.”

“O.M.G! Does Sandy know?” Her eyes widen and her hand leaves my hip to reaches over me for her phone on the lamp table. She starts to search through her phone, but I take it from her.

“Of course, she does. And what were you going to do? Call her at three-thirty in the morning to tell her this? Come on, Vivi. It was a long time ago. You wanted to know about my childhood, and I wanted to let you know that it wasn’t all perfect. We all have our shit.” She relaxes and her hand goes back to my body. She opens her mouth to speak, but I put my index finger on her lip. “I’m not comparing, Love. I would never do that.”

“I know you wouldn’t. I wasn’t thinking that, but you just blew my mind. I don’t know if I should feel bad for Sandy or nominate her for sainthood.”

“Why would you feel bad for her? My brother adores her.”

“Yeah, he does, and you adore me, right?”

“You know I do. Stop fishing for compliments,” I tease.

“So, you want to have dinner with Blake?”

“Point taken. I’d kill him before drinks were served.”

“Like we’d even get that far,” she says with an eye roll. “You’d just kill him on sight. And I’d kill Zoey and that bitch Tori with my bare hands.”

“Don’t tell me you’re the jealous type.”

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