“What the actualfuckis going on here?”
Chapter 10
Hunter
I step back so damn fast, dropping Kat’s hands.
It’s the wrong reaction. I know this the second I see the look of confusion and hurt on Kat’s face. I promised her I could do this, that I could handle her brothers, and I lied.
“Why the hell are your hands all over my sister, Callaghan?”
Sawyer Donnelly is glaring at me, and if looks could kill, I’d be six feet under already.
“Sawyer, shut up! You’re making a scene,” Kat hisses. She reaches for my hand, but I shift away, lifting my hands up in a defensive gesture instead.
“Sorry,” I mumble. Wrong thing to say yet again, given the glare Kat whips my way.
“He’smy date, you overbearing asshole,” she shoots at her brother.
God, she’s on fire. And it’s a beautiful thing to witness, Kat in all her glory, standing up for me. So why are all of my instincts screaming at me to run?
Leo and Serena make their way over with Kat’s oldest brother Max, and my need to get out of this situation intensifies.
“What’s going on, guys?” Serena asks.
“Sawyer’s being a goddamn neanderthal, that’s what,” Kat says, venom dripping from her words. For now, it’s directed at her brother. But I deserve it, too.
Or at least I will.
“We’re just friends. It’s nothing.”
The second the lie leaves my mouth, I want to take them back. My heart feels like I just ran it through a fucking meat grinder.
“What?” Kat whispers, just barely loud enough for everyone to hear. I can’t bring myself to look at her. Instead, I keep my eyes locked on Sawyer Donnelly.
“Just friends?” he growls after a minute of staring intensely at me. “Then why is our sister leaving in tears?”
That breaks my focus. My head whips around just in time to see the back of Kat’s head, Serena’s arm wrapped around her shoulders as they leave the room.
“Fuck.”
“This isn’t the time or place,” Leo interjects, sliding between us. “Take a step back, Sawyer, and calm the fuck down.”
Sawyer gives me one final glare before pivoting and walking away.
Max looks at me, his eyes troubled. “I don’t know you well enough to pass judgment, Hunter, but I don’t like seeing my sister upset. So whatever the fuck just went down, it’s not okay.”
“Max, can you just go make sure Sawyer doesn’t do anything stupid?” Leo asks his cousin calmly. “I need to talk to Hunter.”
The oldest Donnelly nods slowly before following after his brother. Leo turns to me, but I’m frozen. Locked in place, staring at the door Kat just left through, wondering how the hell I let this go so wrong. Maybe I should let Sawyer beat the shit out of me like he obviously wants to.
I deserve it.
“Callaghan. What the goddamn hell was that?” he says in a harsh whisper.
“Leo, I…”
“Shut up and listen, Hunter.”