Page 43 of One Spicy Summer

“You don’t run shit but your mouth, Presley. One day it’s gonna get you in trouble,” Rafe growls, tossing his controller down.He storms up to me, chest heaving.

I stand up, meeting him head-on.“I don’t know who the hell made you my guardian, Rafe, but back the hell off before I say something we’ll both regret.”I shoulder-check him as I brush past, but he grabs my arm, hard. “I’m sick of your shit, Presley. Skipping dance, sneaking around, acting like the school slut.”

Before I can react, Ry’s in his face. “Say that again, Rafe. See what happens.”

Rafe stares between us, something clicking in his brain. His hand drops from my arm. He shoves past me. “Get your shit together, Presley.”

I don’t even let him get another word out before I storm off.I feel Ry’s hand brush my back, but I keep going, upstairs, into my room, slamming and locking the door behind me.

Sliding to the floor, I let the tears come.

“I’m so sick of him!” I shout.

Downstairs, I hear them fighting, and then the front door slams.Good.

Dragging myself into the bathroom, I strip down and take a long, hot shower, trying to scrub off the day.Afterwards, I climb into bed, exhausted and empty.

The cool night air fills my room, smelling of fresh rain and cut grass.

Weird. I don’t remember opening a window.

Eyes still heavy, I reach out, and nearly scream when my hand connects with warm skin. Jerking up, I see Ry sleeping peacefully, arms wrapped tightly around me.

My heart immediately calms. This is his favorite way to sleep, with me curled under him.

“You’re what I want to see when I dream... and the first thing I need when I wake,” he once said. I melt every time.

“Ry?” I whisper.

He stirs, pulling me closer. “Yeah, Princess?”

I don’t want to ruin the moment by bringing up Rafe. Instead, I whisper, “Can you make me forget what happened today?”

He doesn’t answer. Instead, he shifts, covering my body with his, and kisses me like he’s starving.

For the next few hours, he does exactly what I asked… Making me forget everything but him.

Chapter Nineteen

Rygaard

"I can’t believe you’re graduating next week," Presley pouts, her bottom lip jutting out in that way that always undoes me.

She's been like this ever since Rafe lost his shit on her. I get it, he’s her older brother, but he took it too damn far. She told me he apologized, swore it would never happen again, but that shit hit too close to home.

My old man used to get handsy with my mom like that. I don’t fucking like it.

Every time I see something even close to that, something snaps inside me. I’d tear through anyone who lays a hand on my woman or my mother.Father or not, no exceptions.

Thinking about it, I wonder if that’s why my mom is the way she is, broken in places no one can see.

The first time I saw it happen, I made damn sure it was the last.

The air shifts.

My chest tightens.

White-hot pressure rises behind my eyes. Then, her tiny hands cradle my face, pulling me back from the edge.

---