Page 28 of Pucking Forbidden

“J-Jamison?” I gasp.

“Clearly not who you were expecting,” he snaps, his voice full of bitterness. “You’re fucking Jordan, aren’t you?”

“That’s not your business,” I say, proud when my voice doesn’t shake.

“Jesus Christ, Sutton!” he practically yells at me. “You’re supposed to be smarter than this.”

“Don’t,” I snap, struggling to sit upright. “You don’t get to insult me or tell me what to do when you’ve been lying to me for five years.”

“Maybe I lied for a reason. Did you ever think of that?”

“Yeah, you lied to save your own ass.”

“Is that what he told you?”

“Is it true?”

He doesn’t respond, which is answer enough.

“Well, at least you aren’t lying to me this time,” I mutter, squeezing my eyes closed. “God. What did you do, Jamison?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“Really? Is that why Vanessa quit school? Becauseit doesn’t matter?” I retort, trying not to lose my cool and yell at him. That’s what I want to do. Yell and scream and rage until hefinally tells me what he’s hiding, what he did to hurt her. Why he ruined everything, including his own damn life.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” he says, sounding calmer this time. Uncertain, as if he isn’t entirely sure what I know or how much I know.

“You’re right, I don’t. And that’syourfault,” I remind him, my tone acerbic. “You lied to me to cover up whatever you really did. You tried to make Jordan the bad guy and used him as a shield. And I was stupid enough to believe you. Do you even care what he went through because of you?”

“He’s the one who attacked me, baby sister.”

“Really? That’s your defense?” I shake my head, fighting tears. “What happened to you, Jamison? You used to be my hero. Now, you’re someone I don’t even recognize. You’re someone I don’t even like.”

He’s quiet for a moment, the only sound is his breath rasping down the line. “You don’t mean that.”

“That’s where you’re wrong,” I say sadly. “I absolutely mean it. Don’t call me again until you’re ready to be honest with me.”

“Goddammit, Sutton. He’s just using you to get back at me. Use your head and don’t fall for it.”

“Just because that’s what you would do, doesn’t mean he’s capable of it. But you never really knew him at all, did you?” I hang up on him, dropping the phone onto my lap as tears well in my eyes. I want to cry, but I’m not sure I have any tears. Just…frustration. And disappointment. This version of my brother sucks.

Hell, maybe he’s always been this version of himself, and I was just too blind to notice. Our parents died when I was fourteen. Jamison could have sent me to live with the great aunt who never really liked us, but he didn’t. He took custody of me. He took care of me. And I idolized him for it. He could do no wrong in my eyes after that.

Did I miss signs because I was too grateful to look for them? Has he always been this self-serving person willing to sacrifice and hurt the people closest to him just to save himself?

A little part of me can’t help but wonder if he only took me in, not because he loved me, but because it made him look good. I hate thinking that way, questioning his motives. But I can’t help it, either. He was in love with Vanessa, and he did something awful enough to her to cause all of this pain and turmoil. Could he really use me just to get ahead?

I hate that I don’t know how to answer that question.

My phone rings again.

I growl, jabbing the button to answer without even looking at the screen. “I told you not to freaking call me until you were ready to tell me the truth!”

“Don’t recall having that conversation with you, princess,” Jordan rumbles into the phone.

“Jordan!”

“Expecting someone else?” he asks, a smile in his voice.

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