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It’s easier to distract myself with my anger at Jesse rather than focus on the incident at the diner. It’s costing me money I don’t have, to get the window fixed. And I’ve gotten two missed calls from the loan shark in the last couple of hours.
Going to the cops will land Billy in trouble. But not going risks the same thing. I want to make a rational, logical decision about my next steps. I also want to make my brother’s problems go away because a part of me still feels like he’s my responsibility. Like it’s my fault.
Breathe.
Hannah exits onto the porch, phone in hand, tears in her eyes, and June and I move to block her from sight immediately. Ganny’s on the porch swing nearby, her arm looped through her son’s. Mr. Taylor clasps a can of Coke in one hand and smiles at the ongoing antics.
“What happened?” I ask.
“Han?” June reaches out and takes the phone from her, gently. She reads the text on the screen. “You can’t be serious. He’s still texting you? You have to talk to somebody about this.”
“It’s fine,” Hannah says. “He’s being a dick. Besides, it’s not like he lives in Heatstroke. I’ll block his number. I should never have given him a chance. I was…”
“You were lonely,” I say. “And that’s fine, Han. You didn’t do anything wrong, and you don’t deserve some asshole harassing you because things didn’t work out.”
A cheer goes up from Alex and Savage, who are manning the grill nearby, and we turn to find Cash tapping out.
June and Hannah join the applause, but I grind my teeth at the smug look on Jesse’s face. His gaze finds mine, and he arches both eyebrows at me.
“Who dares challenge me?” Jesse calls out, spreading his muscular arms. “Who dares approach?”
“The ego on this guy.”
Cash punches his brother on the arm, then jogs over and grabs June. She shrieks and kicks, giggling at how cold and wet he is. He lathers her with kisses.
Jesse sloshes around in the kiddie pool, imitating Connor McGregor’s walk, and pursing his lips like a loon.
“Get real,” I call out. “The only reason you ever win the family wrestling event is because Savage chooses not to participate.”
A chorus of “oohs” rings out from the gathered Taylors and sundry.
“Big words for a woman who hasn’t got the ovaries to challenge me.” Jesse thumbs his chest.
I glare at him. And…snap.There goes my last reserve of patience.
“That’s it,” I say, pointing at him. “You’re dead.”
Jesse does a slow clap. “What a comeback.”
Another round of “oohs.”
I rip off my skirt but leave my shirt on. The last thing I need is my breasts making a bid for freedom during the wrestlingmatch. I remove my earrings one by one, making eye contact with Taylor as I place them in June’s outstretched hand.
“Let’s go, pretty boy.”
I vault down the stairs and streak toward him.
Jesse’s eyes go wide at the last second, and he puts out his hands. I collide with him, looping my arms around his waist.
Our bodies slam into the water, and cheers go up from the audience.
I spider monkey onto him, wrapping my arms and legs around him and squeezing with all my might, trying to roll him so that he’s face down in the water and pinned. I’ve got him dead to rights because he might be a big, strong guy, but I use his weight against him.
As a kid, my dad put me in martial arts classes. I have muscle memory from a life that feels like it wasn’t mine.
“Looks like you’re not such hot shit after all,” I bite out, my body pressed against his muscular back.
Jesse chokes out a laugh against the water, then reaches down and tickles the underside of my foot.
