Page 105 of Off Limits

“She’s still your sister, Lochlyn.”

“I don’t care. She cost us six weeks together. Six weeks.”

I take a breath, putting my hand on his chest. “Are you planning to change your mind? Decide that this isn’t what you want after all?”

“No. Of course not. I told you—”

“Then it doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. Look, nobody can predict the future, but I’m not planning on not being with you. Ever. Six weeks will seem so minimal. Plus, how many years did you spend longing for me?”

He loops a curl behind my ear. “Many.”

“Exactly. And I know, because I spent years longing for you too. Those six weeks, they were awful. I felt like my heart was ripped out when you stormed out that day.” His arms tighten around me. “But we’re here, we’re together again. That’s all that matters.

“Chelsea needs some time alone, to truly appreciate what she could have, maybe should have, lost. But we can’t just shut her out forever. I don’t want to. We’d all always been so close. I don’t want that to change just because we’re together. I think it’ll be nice.” I lean up, pointing at him. “Andyouhave to figure out how to be nice and deal with Brendan.”

Groaning, he asks, "Do I have to?”

“Yes, you do. Because she’s happy with him. If we want her to be happy for us, you need to be happy for her. Listen, I don’t care if you threaten him weekly; sheisyour sister, after all. But you have to find a way to at least be pleasant. If not for her, then for me.”

“Well, if it’s for you, I guess I’ll have to find a way.”

“Only because it’s for me?”

“Yup.” He pops the ‘p’ at the end of the word.

“Why not for Chelsea?”

“Because I wouldn’t do anything for her. But I would do anything for you. Anything.” My chest inflates as my heart flutters and his lips graze the spot on my neck where he can see my pulse.

“Anything? Really?”

“Really and truly.”

“Okay then. There’s something I need you to do for me.”

He straightens and looks down into my eyes. “Oh yeah, and what’s that?” There’s a sultriness in his voice, and I know his mind has gone to a dirty place.

“Make me some breakfast?” My shoulders scrunch to my ears and a sheepish smile spreads across my face.

A chuckle rumbles from his throat as his head drops to my stomach. “Anything for you, baby girl.”

Chapter 20

AstheanniversaryofDad’s death approaches, I start to withdraw into myself. Chelsea and Lochlyn are still barely talking, and seem to be fighting for my attention. She and I have worked our way back to a close friendship over the past two weeks, but to say things are strained when we’re all together is an understatement.

While sitting in our room after class on Tuesday, the day before the anniversary, the two of them keep arguing over where I last spent the night. I’ve had enough.

“Would the two of you just fuckingstopalready? I can’t take this shit anymore!” They both freeze and look at me. I still rarely curse, yell even less. “You’re acting like children fighting over a toy. I’m not a thing; I’m a person.”

“We know that, Shay. We just both want to spend time with you.” Chelsea’s being gentle. She’s learned the hard way that if she pushes me too far, I’m not going to lie down and take it anymore.

Lochlyn doesn’t say anything. He and I have already had this conversation, where he’d promised to be better, yet in front of Chelsea, he regresses to being a small child again.

“I’ll make this simple. I’m going to spend time with who I want, when I want. We’re all here together right now. If the two of you could get over your petty bullshit and make up already, then things would be easier. You both need to understand who the other person is and that they have a role in my life,” I spit the words out angrily.

Lochlyn, who’s been leaning up against the wall while sitting on my bed, slides forward so that I’m standing between his legs. He wraps an arm around my chest and kisses my neck. “What’s wrong, baby?”

I shrug him off. “Nothing.”

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