I tried to visit him once a week. We weren’t all that close before hisaccident, but we did have a working relationship. He was my brother’s best friend and was set to take over for Gio. And then it happened…
Bobby made another noise and smiled, making me smile. I was such a sap when it came to him. He was simple. I mean, just visiting with him cheered him up. I didn’t even have to do anything special. Just talk to him–which usually meant talking shit to him–and he would smile.
“So, what should we read today?” I asked as I waved my Kindle. “Oooh, how about a hockey romance? Those always make me feel better.” I swiped through my list until I found the book I was looking for. I usually read dark romances and reverse harems, but I had a soft spot for a good sports romance with dirty sex.
Sometimes when I visited Bobby, I would read to him. He wasn’t picky and he didn’t fuss about my choices. I tried to read him a few bully romances, but he would get pissed during the bullying scenes–which if you knew Bobby pre-accident, you’d find the irony in that.
“Kane makes fun of me for reading these, but I like them. You look like you’re down for some love on ice,” I winked and he smiled, blinking once with force. “Sounds like a yes to me.”
After I read for a while, I checked the clock on the wall and realized I’d been at this for over an hour. “Shit, I have to get going. We’ll have to wait until next time to find out if the jock’s going to fall for the nerdy-yet-secretly-sexy girl. I’m thinking he will.”
Bobby’s eyes dropped, knowing our time was over. He hated it when I left, which made it even harder to say good-bye.
“I’ll be back next week. I know you’ll be on the edge of your seat in anticipation.”
He smiled again and blinked when I squeezed his hand.
Chapter 6
Kane
“Youshouldgoseehim in person instead of stalking their visits on the security camera,” Mom said from behind me. I jumped, unaware that she was home. I was sitting on the kitchen island spying when she came in and caught me.
Dani told me she was going to visit Bobby, so I pulled up our security system app and was watching–listening–to their visit. It didn’t reveal anything interesting, other than I heard the first few chapters of a book and now I was wondering what was going to happen next.
“I know, Mom.”
“It’s so sweet that Danica goes to see him. I swear it makes him shine like the sun for days,” Mom said as she smoothed her hair, which was already styled to perfection. It always was. She didn’t leave the house with a single blonde hair out of place.
“Yeah, he loves her. Loved,” I corrected.
Bobby always had a thing for Dani. Probably because her brother was his best friend and he had this big brother complex when it came to anyone in our circle.
“He still does, Kane. He knows who we are and he knows we love him. Wouldn’t hurt you to tell him sometime.”
There it is, the guilt trip Mom was so good at laying on me. She spent a lot of her free time with Bobby and his nurses, and I didn’t, which meant she felt it was her place to tell me I needed to do the same.
“It’s hard.”
“And? Your father carries enough guilt about what happened for the both of you. You need to talk to your brother. He misses you.”
I doubt it.
Bobby and I weren’t on good terms–always competing for our father’s attention. Spoiler alert–I was never the winner.
“I’ll try,” I said, trying to get out of this conversation.
“Thank you,” Mom sighed.
I looked back down at my phone where Dani had spent the last five minutes trying to leave my brother’s room. “I really have to go this time. I’ll be back in a few days.” She kissed his head and pushed his hair away from his eyes. Bobby let out a noise, not one of approval, as Dani inched closer to the door.
Mom grabbed her designer purse off the island. “I should go check on him. He hates it when she leaves.”
Join the club, big brother.
Thedaysleadingupto my forced date with Lauren Arlington flew by. Not to be a little bitch, but I was dreading it. Sure, it was fun to fuck around with Lauren when I had a certain audience, but us alone…no fucking thanks.
I hadn’t told anyone that I was taking her out again, this time to some fundraiser for a cause she didn’t give a shit about hosted by her parents. Rich people were always raising money for themselves under the guise of a noble cause. I’d have to dress up in an overpriced suit and do the small talk thing with my father’s business associates and adversaries. Top it off with an overbearing chick who was plotting our marriage and attached to my ass–I was in the middle of a shit sandwich.