Page 110 of Steel

More than that—seen.

Good, bad, and broken; he worships every piece.

It’s like I’ve spent my life running, but with him, I take a moment to just be still. Whether it be evenings sitting on the couch with Austin between us, watching episodes of superhero shows, or mornings sipping coffee quietly with Jameson on the back porch before the sun has a chance to heat the day. I settle in those moments.

I cravemore.

More smiles on my brother’s face.

More excitement in my life.

More reasons to get out of bed than the monotony of schoolwork or a shift at Dirty Drakes.

Jameson stares into my eyes, and as Austin hops out of the truck and runs over to us, I want all of this for as long as I can have it.

Austin grabs onto Jameson’s leg the second he reaches us, getting grease on his shirt. He smiles up at Jameson and sees the same man I do. Not a patch or a club leader—but a man. Someone who has survived more grief than I have.

Someone who’s been broken by love and life as much as me and my brother. And somehow, the three of us found what we didn’t know we needed in each other.

“Hey, big man.” Jameson releases my face to plant a hand on Austin’s head, tossing his hair around. “No cape today?”

Jameson glances at me; his eyebrows knit.

“He said he didn’t need it.”

“Oh yeah?” Jameson looks down at Austin.

“I’m still strong, though, right?” Austin asks him.

“You know it. Remember what I said? It’s not the cape that makes you a superhero. It’s the people around you. You still feel strong without it, don’t you?”

“The strongest.” Austin grins, planting his hands on his hips and posing like a superhero.

“Then I guess you’re all set.”

Jameson winks at me, and it flutters to my core.

Gentleness from a man who rarely shows it. A man who gave my brother the confidence to take his cape off, even in these unsettling circumstances.

I’ve been resistant, scared to let anyone help me in life. But what if Jameson’s help makes me stronger, not weak? What if nothing else felt right because nothing before this was meant to be?

“Looks like you brought the whole crew.” Jameson waves at his grandma, who’s still sitting in the truck.

“Tempe and Pearl need dresses.” Austin’s shoulders deflate.

“Dresses, huh?” Jameson skims my bare legs in my shorts, and my skin prickles at what I’m sure he’s imagining before his attention returns to Austin. “You don’t look too thrilled about that.”

“He’s not.” I brush Austin’s cheek with the back of my hand. “Hence why I promised we’d come to see you before shopping to cheer him up.”

“Why don’t you leave him with me while you guys run your errands?”

My eyebrows pinch as I look up at Jameson. “You’re busy.”

“Exactly.” He squats down and looks at Austin. “I could use another set of hands. You up for it?”

Austin smiles, nodding his head with excitement. “Yes!”

“Excellent. Hop on.” Jameson has Austin spin around, and he lifts him onto his shoulders.

---