Hold on tight

date.”

There, I had been honest. Cam frowned, then let out a sigh. “Fair enough. I figured there was more

between you and Dewayne Falco than just your son.”

I couldn’t even argue with him.

I finished cutting his hair, and we talked about the weather, what could possibly be wrong with my

car, and the high school cafeteria food. Then he paid me, tipped me way too much, and left.

I might have made a mistake turning him away, but I didn’t ever want to hurt someone. I knew how

that felt, and there was no point in him wasting his time with me. I was a mess.

Six years ago . . .

DEWAYNE

Preston pulled up outside a house surrounded by cars, with loud music pumping out of the speakers.

There were empty beer cans in the yard and even more red Solo cups. A bunch of guys were doing

shots off some chick’s stomach on the front porch.

“You sure you want to do this? We partied too when we were in school. Ain’t like Dustin is doing

anything we didn’t do,” Preston said, looking around at the high school party with illegal drinking

going on. Whoever lived here must have been left home alone by really stupid parents.

“This shit ain’t Dustin. He has college scouts looking at him. He has a life we can’t imagine

waiting on him. He shouldn’t be here, and he sure as hell shouldn’t have Sie

isn’t safe.”

Preston chuckled. “Shit always comes back to Sie

the sidewalk.

A couple of the guys on the basketball team recognized me and called out to me. They were all

smashed. I ignored them. They were making a mistake. This wasn’t going to get them anywhere but

fucking prison.

I wouldn’t let that happen to my brother.

“Where’s Dustin?” I asked one of them.

“He’s got Kimmy up in a bedroom, more than likely,” someone called out.

Kimmy? Kimmy the blond cheerleader Kimmy? Oh, fuck no, he wasn’t that stupid. She’d slept

with Preston our senior year. She’d slept with a lot of my graduating class.

I headed inside and straight up the stairs. Preston was behind me. “He’s a kid. We sure as hell

weren’t relationship material when we were his age. We fucked anything that was hot and had a pussy.

You can’t blame him for not being satisfied—”

I turned and got in Preston’s face, shutting him up. “Don’t. Sie

Sie

Preston threw his hands in the air and backed up. “Fine. Go knock some sense into him. Not me.

Him. I like my face all nice and pretty.”

Preston was hard to get mad at. I turned back around and headed for the first door, opening it and

finding some random girl’s tits, and her mouth wrapped around a guy’s dick.

Next room. I swung open the door just as my brother’s name was being screamed by a girl who was

not Sie

“You little dipshit! What the fuck are you doing?” I roared. The girl squealed, and all Dustin did

was look back at me and grin. He was drunk. His eyes were bloodshot, and he had a goofy look on his

face.

“I’m fucking,” he replied, and pumped his hips into the girl, who was scrambling to cover herself.

“She’s been wanting my dick for two years. I started giving it to her ’cause she likes it hard and dirty.”

More information than I needed to know.

“Dude, you so need to shut up before he beats the hell out of you,” Preston said from behind me.

“Little brother or not, you’re drunk and screwing someone who isn’t Sie

about Sie

“Did you break up with Sie

slut when he had the world in his hands.

Dustin frowned. “Break up with Sie

her for this,” he said, nodding to the girl underneath him, who cursed at him and slapped his chest.

“You can’t love Sie

had happened to my brother.

“Yeah, I can. Sie

Kimmy lets me fuck her in the janitor’s closet at school, and she even sucks my dick in the locker

room before a game.”

Shit. Dustin had lost his mind. “Get dressed. We’re leaving. Now.”

Dustin stood up. His dick was still hard, and I saw then that he didn’t have a condom on.

Motherfucker!

“Oh shit, he ain’t wrapping that thing up,” Preston said, pointing out the obvious.

“You selfish asshole! You’re cheating on Sie

wrong with you?”

Dustin looked down at his dick and groaned. “Shit. I forgot. I was drinking and she was stroking me

outside, and then I was up here and inside her. Forgot about the condom.”

“You gotta tell Sie

Dustin’s eyes went wide. “I ain’t telling Sie

forgive me, and I need her. She’s my girl. Always been my girl. Besides, she’s got the best damn

titties of any girls I’ve had.”

I took a step toward him, needing to slam my fist into his face, when Preston jumped in front of me

and pushed Dustin back. “He’s sixteen and he’s drunk. Really damn drunk. Calm down. You can make

sure Sie

“No. Can’t tell Sie

one and only. You know. You love her too. We both love her. The Falco boys love Sie

her pretty titties. Fucking perfect titties.”

“Can y’all leave so I can get dressed?” Kimmy asked in an angry screech. “I’m sick of hearing

about his love for Sie

who he fucks whenever he needs to get off. Not her. He treats her like a porcelain doll. She’s not

go

Present day . . .

SIENNA

Dewayne had actually shown up instead of texting me to take Micah to his parents’ on Saturday

morning. Then he’d driven me to work, with Micah sitting between us in the truck, excited about

going to get breakfast with Dewayne after they dropped me off.

It was easy enough. Micah being there made it easy. I didn’t make eye contact with Dewayne if I

didn’t have to, and I focused on Micah. That was why I was even in this truck with Dewayne: Micah.

He did it all for Micah, and I understood that. He’d made sure I understood why he was doing this.

However, when Dewayne came walking into the shop at lunchtime to pick me up, he didn’t have

Micah with him.

“Where’s Micah?” I asked as I picked up my purse.

“My parents have him. We have to go get your car,” he replied.

Oh. Well, that was good. I thought. I just hoped I had enough money. I still owed for the towing,

too. I wasn’t sure who I owed it to and how much. I would find out once Dewayne and I got in his

truck.

“Hey, Dewayne,” Gretchen said, and wiggled her long pink fingernails at him, then winked.

He didn’t do anything more than nod at her, and then he motioned for the door. “Ready?” he asked.

I waved at Hillary and Gretchen, although at the moment I wasn’t in the mood to do anything but

scowl at Gretchen. I wished she’d never told me about her and Dewayne. I followed him outside. He

opened my door for me, and I climbed inside and buckled up.

Dewayne got in on his side and we were on the road without a word from either of us. I hoped this