Page 39 of The Fight

I hop out quickly, choosing to ignore I even said it and hope Blair didn’t notice. I walk around the front of the car, internally kicking myself, then swing open her door. I don’t want to wait for her to say anything. Don’t want to deal with the embarrassment of rejection or anything else. Hell, I didn’t even know what I was saying before I said it. It just slipped out.

I grab her hand quickly and pull her behind me playfully, leading her inside. Once we step inside, she pulls my arm, stopping me in the foyer.

“Shay—”

“Shh.” I cut her off, sliding up to her, and cup her face in my hands.

I push my lips into hers, swallowing down any words she might say. She doesn’t fight me, doesn’t try to make me stop. Her hands move up and link around my neck. Jutting my tongue out, I swipe at the seam of her lips. She opens and sticks hers out, massaging mine in slow, soft circles.

My cock perks up with the motion. Traveling my hands down, I grab her hips and pull her closer to me, letting her front press into mine. We’re melted together again, and I’m not sure either of us will be able to break away. Not that we would want to.

Her fingers massage my neck as she holds me, and then she breaks her lips from mine and moves them down my jaw. I let my head fall back in her hands, giving her access to my neck and shivering when she licks my skin. I run one hand up to the back of her head, tangling my fingers into her hair and holding her in place. Her lips on my skin does something to my body, and I never want it to end.

Only it does.

The door beside us opens, and immediately, we both jump back, breaking every point of contact.

Sylvia and my dad stand there, staring. My heart sinks to my stomach, and I feel the need to move—to get further away from Blair.

Blair’s green eyes are wide, and her pale cheeks are tinted red. I try and mouth,I’m sorry, but it’s pointless. Suddenly, my mouth is dry, and I can’t seem to make my jaw move to work. Now, instead of being locked together in a kiss, we’re locked in a haze of what the fuck just happened.

I knew at some point this was bound to happen, but I thought we had more time. Thought we could live in the blissful bubble of bullshit for at least a few more days without having to worry, but I was wrong.

Sylvia looks shocked. Her mouth is hung in a silent O, and my dad just looks angry, standing beside her. I want to feel bad, and maybe I do slightly, but Blair isn’t just some girl to me. Not anymore. Whatever it is she and I have is important, and I don’t want to lose it.

Not when it just started.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

BLAIR

My heart slams against my chest, and my stomach drops with a rush of adrenaline. Shay is still standing there, just as unsure as me. But we need to break the silence. Someone needs to say something. Anything.

“Um, hi…” I manage to squeak out, but it sounds pathetic even to my own ears.

My mom stares at me for a moment, then bounces her eyes between me and Shay like she’s trying to put together what she just saw. Her lips press together in a hard line before she crosses her arms and finally speaks.

“Blair… What is going on?”

“I—” My voice cracks, and I scramble to try and form a coherent sentence. “We weren’t doing anything. It’s just—” I cut myself off because it sounds so ridiculous. How do I explain this? How do I explain us?

Shay steps forward, holding his hands up. “We—uh. We didn’t mean for this to happen. It just…” He trails off, clearly struggling with words like me. “It’s not what it looks like.”

My mom raises an eyebrow, her arms still crossed, not saying anything for a few seconds as she continues to assess the two ofus. The silence stretches on until Henry clears his throat beside her.

“I didn’t expect to walk in on this,” he says, his tone flat, but the disappointment is clear. “There are some lines you just donotcross.”

I feel my throat closing up as I struggle to try and find words, but nothing comes. How do I make them understand that this—us—isn’t some impulsive mistake or reckless decision? We’re not acting on some whim.

Shay stands straighter, his jaw set, but I can tell he’s just as rattled as me. “I understand this looks bad, but we’re not… we’re not doing anything wrong. We’re just trying to figure things out.”

“Figure things out? She’s going to be your sister, Shay!” Henry booms. “Do you know what this could mean for my reputation? We’ve had this discussion over and over before. Ever since your mom died?—”

“Don’t even try to make this about Mom! This isn’t about her!” Shay snaps back, and I jump.

“This is. We had an agreement, Shay. Or have you forgotten? I’ve let your fighting slide, considering it was more legal than other things I was worried about you getting involved with, but this?” Henry shakes his head. “This I can’t let slide. You were supposed to stay in line for three more years. Three years! Then you could cash out your savings, and I would stop paying you to be good.”

“Yeah,” Shay chuckles. “Because paying me to mind my manners so your reputation wasn’t hurt seemed so much easier than fucking talking to me! Right, Dad?”

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