Page 3 of Fueled Fury

2

Austin

“What the fuck are you doing here?” The angry voice interrupts the little sleep I was finally able to get.

Opening my eyes, I’m met with an enraged stare from Eli. He needs to get used to it, because I’m not going anywhere. Not this time. “Morning, little brother.”

“Cut the shit, Austin. What are you doing here?” Eli asks as I casually stretch, standing from the bed before pulling on a fresh pair of jeans and a T-shirt.

“I thought you’d at least be slightly happy to see me.” No I didn’t, but I enjoy pushing his buttons. He’s so easy.

“No one is ever happy to see you. Not surprising since all you do is inflict misery.”

I can’t help but laugh as I say, “We’re both good at that. But one of us hides it better than the other.”

The muscle in his jaw tenses as he stands, arms folded across his chest, but doesn’t argue with the statement. He can’t because he knows it’s true.

Walking to the kitchen, he’s on my heels, and I know exactly why when I enter the room and spot Lainey seated at the island.

“Morning,” I say, causing her to glance up quickly from her phone. She’s not any happier to see me this morning than she’d been last night. The annoyed stare she gives me before returning her attention to her phone speaks louder than words.

I move in front of the coffee pot and pour myself a cup as my brother says, “Austin.”

“Yeah,” I respond, leaning against the counter to watch him slowly unravel.

“I told you not to come here.”

“Like he listens to anyone,” Lainey mumbles, earning a chuckle from me because she’s right. But little does she know, she has all the power at her fingertips—not that I’ll inform her of that tidbit anytime soon, if ever.

He glances at Lainey before looking back to me. “Shouldn’t you be at school or something and far away from here?”

“I transferred to Haine.”

Muffled coughs tell me that Lainey is just as shocked as Eli and neither look happy. Good.

“Great. Find somewhere else to live.”

“Nah. This’ll do.” I raise the mug, taking a gulp of the hot liquid.

“No,” Eli says, stepping in front of me, his eyes challenging me. It’s one of the many challenges he’ll be losing.

“It’s not up to you. Mom and Dad said there’s plenty room in the house that they purchased.” I give him a smile, knowing that if he argues he won’t be on the winning end. It’s not our parents he would be challenging, but our uncle who controls their livelihood. Something they won’t risk. Under any other circumstances, I’d be happy to find another place to live—alone and far away from him. But Lainey changed my perspective on living quarters. She changes everything.

“There’s not enough room here for you.”

“Five bedrooms and not enough space for me.” I shake my head, knowing damn well actual space isn’t what he’s referring to. “Kick her out if it’s too crowded.”

“She’s not going anywhere, you are,” Eli fumes as he moves forward, his chest pushing against mine.

Calmly, I set the mug down on the counter without breaking eye contact with my enraged brother.

“Eli, stop.” Lainey hurries around the island, attempting to wedge in between us as she places her hands on Eli to force him back. Her hands shouldn’t be on him, or anyone else for that matter. They should be on me, just as they had been so many times over the summer when she’d finally allowed me to experience what I’d fantasized about from afar for so many years. And everything was going great until the thing that saved me ended my shot with her.

“Listen to your best friend, Eli.” I shouldn’t piss her off further. Even though she’s about a foot shorter than my brother and I (who, standing eye to eye, both clock in at over six foot and easily clearing her short statue), she’ll hand me my ass long before Eli will.

“You. Stop it.” Lainey gives me a stern look before returning her attention back to Eli. “Come on. We can figure it out later.”

“There’s nothing to figure out. He’s leaving. You’re staying.”