Page 46 of Wild Hearts

My sister sniffs and wipes a tear from her cheek, but I’m too furious to care. “I don’t understand why you can’t just make an effort to–”

“To what?” I stare at her incredulously. “To forgive him? After everything he’s done? You can’t be serious, Ivy. Even you’re not that bloody naïve.”

Her cheeks redden as she stomps to her feet. “Stop being such a selfish prick! The world doesn’t revolve around you, Brady Willis. He’s not perfect. I know that. He hurt me, too!” Her voice rises until she’s shouting at me. “But he’s still our dad and like it or not, Tarshia and Theo and the new baby are all part of our family now. So, screw you!” Ivy glares at me, her chest heaving from being so worked up. “You don’t want to have anything to do with them, fine. But you can’t control me. I don’t know why you’re taking it out on Wren. She’s my friend, of course she’s going to support me. You may be my brother, but you can be a real jackass sometimes.”

“Ivy–”

With a shake of her head and a look that resembles pity, she storms out of my room, slamming the door behind her with such force that the surf medallions on my bookshelf clash together. I don’t know why I even kept them. They’re just another reminder of what a failure I am.

My phone buzzes and I take a deep breath to try and calm myself before looking at the screen.

Wren: I’m sorry you feel that way, but she’s my friend and I told you she needs your support right now. Not anger.

I cover my head with a pillow and scream until my voice feels hoarse. Dad cheats on his wife, gets his girlfriend pregnant, rips our family apart, andI’mthe bad guy?

Needing to get out of the house, I grab my phone and dial Jordan’s number. I don’t even bother with formalities when he picks up the phone. “Pick me up. I need to get blitzed.”

SOME EDM TRACK WITHa killer bass is reverberating in my skull. I’m five beers deep, the room is a marijuana haze, and I accept the spliff that’s passed my way, taking a couple of tokes before passing it on. My body is numb from the alcohol, painkillers, and weed. The tension in my limbs lifts and I’m in a half-baked bliss.

Jordan is making out with some brunette, some chick I’ve never seen around before. The guy can’t keep it in his pants. We’ve only been at Robbo’s house for twenty minutes and they’re already dry humping each other next to me on the couch. Because of my knee – and my inebriated state – I’m stuck in my own personal amateur porn purgatory. As angry as I am at Wren, I can’t help but wish that her soft, warm body was wrapped around me right now.

“Get a room,” I mumble, elbowing Jordan in the gut.

He stops sucking face long enough to grin and stick his middle finger up at me. I roll my eyes.Jackass.I light up another joint and sink into the couch, feeling light as a feather. I feel like I could float away. My body jolts as someone slaps me on the shoulder and I look up through bleary eyes to Harley’s grinning face above me. His girlfriend Ellie is hovering behind him. He’s got some balls bringing her to a party like this, especially with his brother still on probation.

“How’s the knee?” he asks.

“Can barely feel a thing right now.” I grin.

Harley narrows his eyes, noticing the joint in my hand. “You high, man?”

“Who isn’t?” I sweep my hand around the room.

He rubs a hand over his face. “Aren’t you on pain meds?”

“Yes,Mum,” I drawl. “What of it? Chill. It’s just a little dope. It’s not going to kill me.” I nod in Ellie’s direction. “Unlike you if her brothers find out you brought her here. You got a death wish?”

“We’re just dropping off her friend.” Harley glances at Ellie, then back to me. “You want to come with us? We’re going to go hang out at the ice cream shop with Lachy and Ivy while he closes up. Maybe you and Jords could both come. It’s been a while since we all just hung out together.”

I smirk in Jordan’s direction. There’s no way he’s leaving a party when he’s so close to getting laid. “As riveting as that sounds, I think I’ll pass.”

Harley shakes his head but doesn’t argue. “Your funeral, man.” He claps me and Jordan on the back and leads Ellie toward the exit.

I finish the joint, dropping the butt in my now empty beer bottle. “I need to take a piss,” I mumble to Jordan, but he’s so wrapped up in his chick he has no idea I’ve even spoken. I set the empty bottle on the coffee table before struggling to my feet, grabbing my crutches, and making my way to the bathroom. The line is massive, so I decide to go find a tree outside.

I almost lose my footing down the front steps, but I manage to catch myself on the railing. I stand there for a moment, waiting for the world to stop spinning, when I hear a shriek from a couple of houses down. Letting out a groan, I glance down at my fly as another scream cuts through the night.

Decision made, I swing down the footpath as quickly as I can on crutches. When I reach the footpath, my stomach plummets as I see Ellie trying to pull her middle brother off Harley, who’s curled up on the ground, wrapping his arms protectively around his head. Jasper, one of Conrad’s rugby teammates, grabs Ellie, holding her back as her brother kicks my mate in the stomach.

Fuck!

“Hey!” I yell, hobbling toward them. “Back off, Conrad.”

Jasper snickers as he takes in my incapacitated state. Ellie struggles in his grip, mascara staining her cheeks as she stares down at Harley.

“Stay out of this, Willis.” Conrad spits on the ground. “It’s got nothing to do with you.”

I make my way over to them and put myself between Harley and Conrad. “You beating the shit out of my matedoeshave something to do with me.”

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