I look away from him, hiding the emotion his words bring to the surface. “Why me?” I whisper.
He cups my chin, turning me to face him. “From the first moment you walked into my class, and I laid eyes on you, I knew I was fucked. It could only ever be you.” He leans down, his lips enveloping mine. I could die. Finally having him touch me again, to be engulfed in his protective space. It’s all I’ve wanted since I ran from him, even if it is wrong, unethical, forbidden.
I pull back. “What about our family?”
He rubs his thumb over my bottom lip. “We keep it all a secret until you graduate.”
I nod. “We have to. They’ll do everything to keep us apart.”
He nods. “Now that that’s out of the way, come here.”
I spend the night wrapped in his arms, pinned beneath him as he ties me up, making love to my body in the dirty ways we both love.
It’s never felt wrong, the way we fucked, but I have been ashamed of what I liked. But with him, I’ve learned to embrace it, use it as part of my armor. Even though he restrains me, I’ve never felt so free.
* * *
Thanksgiving is awkward.Derek refuses to acknowledge my presence. Rejecting me and making me feel as small as an ant. I shouldn’t let it bother me, but for some reason, it does. I am his biological granddaughter, after all. I know he doesn’t know that. I heard Heath talking to Richard about how the whole family swore off watching the news because of the rumors and lies the press were known to spread. Therefore, they only watch it when absolutely necessary, but he just… I don’t know. You’d think after all the rejection I’ve endured in my life, I’d know how to handle it by now.
“What are you going to do after school, Callum?” Clint asks, trying to not let me feel left out.
I smile. “I’m not sure yet.”
“It won’t be government,” Lincoln supplies directly across the table from me.
My eyes flash over to his, but he’s looking down at his phone, typing something.
My phone buzzes and I smile politely at Clint. “One second.”
Looking down, I have to hide my reaction as I read the message.
Lincoln: Your bow makes me so fucking hard.
I blush, shutting my screen off and setting my phone back in my lap. My bow is silk today, a cream color to match my shoes.
“Boyfriend?” Noah asks from the other side of me. A knowing smile on his face.
“I’m—yeah. Jake is cool, you guys will have to meet him soon.”
My phone buzzes again.
Lincoln: Wait until they find out it’s their uncle.
Callum: Stop it.
He sends a winking face emoji and I switch my phone onto silent mode.
Heath snaps his finger. “Jake as your school’s quarterback?” I nod. “That guy is a douche, Callum. You can do better than that.”
I bite my lip. “And who is your girlfriend?”
He casts his eyes over to me. “She didn’t tell you?”
I pause. “What do you mean?”
He rubs the back of his neck. “Jennifer, she said you guys were friends, and I figured she would have told you.”
“Oh, eww. Don’t ever say anything bad about Jake again. She’s literally the devil.” I roll my eyes, annoyed by the situation. Selfishly, I didn’t want to share my brother with Jennifer. Any of them.