Page 17 of Pit Stop

I’m sure of it.

“So, what the fuck is going on with you and Mav?” Forest asks me the next day. He’s given me some space, but I could feel him lingering, wanting to ask me this ever since I arrived home.

But I don’t wanna tell him. I’m so fucking humiliated.

And I’m godsdamn lonely. I miss Mav’s hands on me, his lips. Fuck. I don’t want to be that loser who pines after a man who doesn’t want me. I’m better than that. Or at least I hope I am.

“Nothing is going on between us. It was a terrible coincidence.”

Forest doesn’t even hesitate before he asks, “Mav said the same thing. Where exactly were you when you met him and went into heat?”

I scoff and feel my cheeks redden. “Um, that’s none of your business.”

Forest’s dark hair falls into his face and he pushes it back, and those eyes that are so similar to our dad’s meet mine. “Why not?”

I’m too tired for this shit. Going into heat really took it out of me and I don’t even want to think about how my other brothers will react when they find out. Thankfully, no one seems to have blabbered about it. They would have descended on me like rabid wolves.

“Because.”

I have no other reason not to tell him, except that I had my first time at a glory hole. And gods, I don’t want my brother to know about that. Not ever.

His gaze bores into mine and his eyes narrow. “Oh fuck. You went to The Pit Stop.”

My mouth opens and closes. “No. Absolutely not. I would never. I don’t even know what that is.”

He rolls his eyes and points a finger at me. “You fucking did. I know where Mav goes on the weekends.”

Oh, does he? I don’t like that at all. For some reason, my mind and body think he’s mine, which is ridiculous.

That can never happen.

“Oh, fuck off.” My cheeks are so hot they’re melting. Pretty soon I’ll just be a skeleton.

“Gods, I can’t believe you. Why the hell would you go to a fucking glory hole in that place? There are much better and cleaner ones around.”

I plug my ears. “I don’t want to know. I really don’t.”

He grabs on to my wrists and pulls my hands from my head. “Seriously, Skye. Stay away from The Pit Stop and stay away from Mav. He’s no good for you.”

I don’t like this either. How dare he say that about Maverick! “That’s not a nice thing to say about your best friend.”

“Yeah, well, he might be my best friend, but that doesn’t mean he’s good enough for you. You’ve been to his place, obviously. You know where he lives.”

“You sound like a stuck-up prick. I can’t believe you’re my brother, you dickface.”

“Yeah, I might be a dickface but there’s a reason he lives there. He’s rough. He’s had a fucked-up life. You’re better than that. Always have been. In a year, you’ll be gone and Mav will still be stuck here. And you’ve always told me you wanted out, told me not to let you stay. So here I am, protecting you.”

I stare at my older brother, my lips pursing, the lie tumbling from my lips. “Yeah, well, it is what it is. I don’t expect it to happen again. Not with him anyway.”

He lets out a long breath. “Yeah, good. You can find someone else. Someone on your level. You’re smart, Skye. You can have anyone.”

I find myself blushing once more. My brother has never been this nice to me. I don’t know what to fucking do.

“Thanks. Can we be done now?”

Forest grumbles under his breath, his fingers sliding through his hair.

“I mean, I saw the way you looked at him when he dropped you off. Your first time…”

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