Page 9 of Fear of Love
Mateo nudged his foot against mine. “Don’t listen to Landon. He’s an asshole.”
“Yeah.” My voice came out soft.
“He’s protective, overly so, but he means well.”
“You’re his baby brother. I get it.” I shrugged.
“He’s been through a lot.” Mateo’s voice went soft, causing me to glance over at him in surprise at the seriousness of his tone. “I was only a few months old when my dad left us. The only real father figure I’ve ever had was Landon. He was a kid himself when he took over that fatherly role for Wyatt and me. Taught me everything I know.”
My heart squeezed at the way Mateo was speaking about his older brother. Mateo might’ve joked a lot, but when it came to his family, he’d take a bullet for them. He was as fiercely protective of his brothers as they were of him.
I only knew a little bit about Landon and his family. Most of what I learned came from Josie, who briefly touched on their father leaving when Mateo was only a few months old, leaving their mom, Evelyn, to raise three young boys.
Landon being protective of Mateo made sense. I couldn’t fault him for being concerned. He was only looking out for his family, even if it came off as harsh. If I had a younger sibling, I probably would’ve acted the same way. Didn’t mean his words hurt any less, though.
“Sometimes I think he forgets that Wyatt and I don’t need a father anymore. We just need a brother.” Glancing over at me, I met his gaze. “Landon comes across as a dick, but he’s only looking out for us. I can guarantee he feels like shit for what he said.”
“Doubt that,” I mumbled. “It’s probably best if you’re not in the magazine.”
“Robbing the people of seeing this gorgeous face.” Mateo gestured to his head.
The corner of my lips tilted up. “Such a shame.”
“It truly is.” Mateo grinned at me. “But I promise when my team wins the championship this year, you can get an exclusive interview.” He nudged me with his foot again.
“I’ll hold you to that.” I nudged him back with a smile.
Hearing Josie calling our names, I let out a sigh.Time to get back.Mateo easily got to his feet, holding out his hand for me and pulling me to my feet in one smooth motion. Standing next to him, I realized just how much he had grown since I first met him. Crazy to think he could almost rival his brothers in height and muscle now.
“So, where’s my kiss?” Mateo asked the second I stood tall.
“Your kiss?”
“Yeah, I helped cheer you up. So, a kiss is my reward.” He looked quite proud of himself for saying that. He tapped his lips with a finger while grinning. Lifting onto my toes, I leaned toward him, his eyes widening as his lips parted.
I got close to his mouth, my lips threatening to break out into a grin, as Mateo held perfectly still waiting for his kiss.
“In your dreams kid,” I whispered before pressing a quick peck to his cheek. I stepped around him with a smirk, heading back toward the house.
“Oh, you will be!” Mateo yelled, making me laugh under my breath.
3
LANDON
Iscrewed up. I knew I did the moment the fire in Lydia’s eyes dimmed when I snapped at her about Mateo. I was harsh, harsher than I should have been, but when it came to my family, I didn’t care if I was an asshole.
Lydia probably meant well, but all I could picture when she talked about Mateo being in her magazine was people flocking to my younger brother and using him for their own gain or worse—ruining his chances of living his dream. Mateo, like Wyatt, was meant for great things. I would rather flay myself open than let anything get in the way of that.
“Come on, guys. Lydia is about to start,” Mila said loudly from the kitchen. Grabbing my beer, I followed the guys into the kitchen, my eyes immediately landing on a certain blonde. A blonde who was avoiding me ever since my outburst, which was pretty impressive considering we were in the same house.
My grip tightened around the beer in my hand when I saw Lydia’s lips quirk up into a smile as she talked to Tasha. That breathtaking smile shouldn’t have had the effect of pulling a smile from me too.
Lydia was thebaneof my existence.
She was a bullheaded, smart-mouthed, know-it-all. She always had something to say and claimed she was right 99 percent of the time. It grated on my nerves to no end.
But I couldn’t deny she was damn gorgeous. Her shorter blonde hair fit her no-bullshit attitude. When her green eyes glanced in my direction, it was like a bolt of lightning hit me directly in the chest. Even when she was glaring and angry, she was beautiful. Which was why I couldn’t help but rile her sometimes. Seeing that fire light in those emerald eyes, even when directed at me, did something to me.
